News — Nutrition

The New Year is officially here, the festive season binging has now come to an end… and it’s time to awaken the inner warrior, be empowered and confident with your lifestyle choices.

Let’s face it; eating healthy is just downright hard to do these days. We have fast food at every glance, conveniently located and we tend to forget just how bad highly processed food is for our bodies. If you want to reach your weight loss goals or just continue on the healthy straight and narrow, these are some great everyday tips to incorporate into your daily routine.

Step 1: Give yourself some motivational encouragement! Set reminders in your phone, write things on your mirror, change your screensaver to something that gets you pumped, maybe even change your morning alarm tone! Don’t underestimate the power of your mind.

 Step 2: Time to do a clean out, get rid of your rubbish food so it isn’t staring at you in the face saying ‘EAT ME… EAT ME NOW’. These are generally your trigger foods after a long hard day and you’ve just lost all interest in cooking or making good decisions.

Step 3: PREP. YOUR. MEALS. If you haven’t been doing this, chances are you are going to get super busy, tired and hangry… leading to again, regretful choices. Make the most of our super healthy, freshly prepared meals.

Step 4: Plan your snacks. Snacks are a killer when it comes to weight management. Check out our 7 healthy snack ideas to help improve mood and productivity!

Step 5: Squeeze in somewhere each day to get your 30 minutes of exercise. Whether it’s a brisk walk after dinner, an intense gym sesh or calming light stretches, just do it! No excuses! This is your time to appreciate yourself. It’s worth every single minute.

                         [image] retrieved from: http://www.theearthdiet.org/uploads/3/4/8/4/3484401/__7818460_orig.jpg

Success tips: 

• Waking up and doing exercise on an empty stomach or a small light snack such a banana or some nuts can improve weight loss. Try high interval training to increase your mitochondria (the bodies energy powerhouse). 
• Drink a glass of lemon water upon waking, this stimulates your digestive organs producing bile, digestive enzymes and getting things moving.
• Try to avoid eating after 7 pm, this should be your time of healing not digesting, a 10 – 12 hour nightly fast is excellent for metabolic processes.
• Don’t starve yourself. Your body actually goes into starvation mode and starts storing your energy into fats as a protective mechanism.
• Drink your 2L of water. A given I know, however, your body can confuse being hungry with being thirsty. Find it hard to drink so much? Why not diffuse it with fruit or make some iced herbal tea – delicious!
• Green tea increases your digestive system functionality, increases detoxification processes and when iced is perfect on a hot summer’s day!
• Don’t eat bland food. Add fresh herbs and spices to your dishes so your taste buds are satisfied! Eating healthy is actually really delicious.
• Set realistic goals. This is really important, as you don’t want to feel like a failure and give up completely; small weekly goals based on changes instead of weight are a great start.
• Invest in a health coach, it can be a great way to really succeed and have consistent support on your health journey.  Talk to our nutrition or naturapath to personalise a program just for you! 
• Remember you may have some setbacks, that’s okay! Get right back up again and figure out what your main triggers are. Take note and put practices in place to avoid that temptation.
• Live your life! Don’t forget to live, don’t drown yourself in saying no to everything… life is just too short to appreciate the good things, just do it in small doses. Sooner than later the positive changes you’ve made become a habit and you’ll find you won’t want it anyway. 

The main thing is to change your perspective and frame of mind when it comes to diet and lifestyle. Believe that you can and you really will. You can achieve results, you can be confident and you can succeed.  Be honest with yourself and accept that changing habits doesn’t happen overnight but it sure doesn’t take as long as you think once you truly commit. It’s one of the toughest, most challenging yet rewarding experiences. You can do it!

 
                                      [image] retrieved from:  http://quotesmag.tumblr.com/page/8 

Want some guidance? Talk to our experienced nutritionists here or why not look at our life changing detox plans.

Are you coming home from work totally exhausted? Waking up more exhausted than the day before? We have all had that feeling where we think it is impossible to keep going; knowing that we need to go home, cook dinner, clean, get the kids ready for bed, oh and somewhere in-between have a life!

Is it just the way life is? Busy days, little sleep and no time for ourselves to relax? No! There needs to be balance and you truly can make a huge difference with good nutrition and easy tricks to get you there.  

(Beyond Good Health Clinics) [image] of chronic fatigue

What are signs and symptoms of fatigue?

• Constant feeling of tiredness
• Shortness of breath or muscle weakness
• Lack of motivation
• Concentration and memory recall difficulties
  

  (Wedro, 2015)

Why does your body feel so depleted?

Our bodies can be feeling exhausted for many various reasons, you may have a serious or chronic current health issue, a newborn baby or going through a really stressful time at the moment. Whatever it may be, good nutrition will always optimize health by nourishing and supporting the fundamental biochemical pathways that lead us to be the marvelous walking, talking, living, breathing organism we are!

These pathways require sufficient nutrient intake to ensure synthesis and balance of enzymes, proteins, hormones, neurons, cells, EVERYTHING!  Without adequate intakes, you can be tipping over a domino and starting a destructive cascade of physiological events inside your body without even realizing. Every single thing in your body will be rebuilt by what you eat.

If you’re eating unhealthy foods, not getting enough exercise, sleep or relaxation your health will eventually mentally and physically suffer, acutely or chronically - period.

We have over 100 trillion cells working fiercely to keep us going, even more amazing you can times that number by 10 and you get the amount of live bacteria in the human body (Rettener, 2016) – pretty amazing right? You have to give them nourishment to thrive and do their jobs effectively – they will do everything in their power to make sure you, the host, can survive. 

Watch this amazing video on immune cells in action –

 (Healing, 2014)

Potential causes of fatigue:

• Prolonged sympathetic nervous system stimulation (stress and anxiety) subsequently causing insufficient absorption and digestion of food increasing malnutrition
• Excessive amounts of high carb and sugar foods
• Damage to GIT and dysbiosis of the microbiome
• Nutritional deficiencies including insufficient water intake
• Toxic build-up in your body (see article here on how to detoxify naturally)
• Insufficient sleep (recommended 6 – 8 hours)
• Side effects from medications

Here’s the exciting part! You can change your life for the better! Don’t let this overwhelm you, let it inspire you; let it take your breath away at just how wonderful, intricate and purely amazing your body is.  Believe in yourself enough that you deserve to be healthy; you deserve to love your body and nourish it and feel good again!

Top 10 Ways To Boost Your Energy!

1. I really am a huge advocate of this – try your best to cut out the processed foods. Anything that comes in a packet, stay clear. Aim to fill your fridge with a rainbow of local fresh fruit, veg, nuts and meats. Nature has us covered, every whole-food contains an array of nourishing vitamins and minerals that you need to thrive on, aiming to help all of those beautiful pathways work at optimum levels. Don’t have time to cook? Check out our AMAZING healthy meals here.
2. Aim to eat foods high in your B-Vitamins; they all play an integral part in energy synthesis and metabolism. Great food sources include eggs, salmon, nuts, seeds, dark-leafy greens and organic well-sourced animal liver. (Whitney, 2014) If you are really struggling it might be beneficial to opt for a well-sourced B-vitamin complex.
3. Increase your magnesium (Mg+) intake; most of us are deficient in Mg+. (Here’s a tester-poke out your tongue in a mirror, if it is shaking chances are you may be Mg+ deficient). Mg+ is Crucial for energy, heart, lung, and immune functionality along with being essential for synthesizing glucose, proteins, fats and structures. It is also vital for neural communication. High in seeds, grains and green-leafy veg.
4. Antioxidants help detoxify harmful substances, repair and nourish your cells along with promoting damaged cell apoptosis (cell death). Great sources of antioxidants: fresh berries, green tea, turmeric, raw organic cacao and nuts. (Mercola, 2016)
5. Choose complex carbohydrates and lower your sugars, this includes overindulging in fruits – aim for no more than 2 – 3 serves per day max. Complex carbs are sourced from whole fruits, whole grains, green and starchy vegetables e.g. sweet potato, pumpkin and beetroot. Eat them with a bit of protein and good fats to increase satiety and avoid a high spike in blood glucose.
6. Cut back on stimulants; caffeine, alcohol, black teas and cigarettes. Over-stimulation of the nervous system can eventually cause our body to burn out. Try an alternative dandelion root coffee, mix it up with herbal teas and if you’re a huge coffee and chocolate person aim for a new goal each week to slowly reduce your intake.
7. Ensure you are getting enough iron (Fe+) in your diet. Fe+ is essential for transporting oxygen around your body through your blood and absolutely vital for many catalyst enzymatic reactions.  Nuts, green-leafy vegetables and red meat are all high in Fe+.
8. Try our amazing PondWater Mix – I am officially in LOVE with this mix! It has all organic ingredients; chlorella, spirulina, wheat grass, aloe vera and spelt grass. Perfect for alkalizing the body, high in glutathione for repairing gut endothelial lining, rich in nutrients and a great 3 o’clock pick me up.
9. Probiotic rich foods: Once you have started to take a more clean eating approach it’s time to look into probiotic-rich foods or even a supplement. These gut microbes play an integral role in our body and the immune system, it is absolutely essential we have the right bacteria. Try adding sauerkraut, kimchi, miso or low sugar Kombucha into your diet once daily.
10. Sleep, rest and relaxation: yes, you know this one – we all do, just DO IT! Find a way to take 10 – 20 minutes each day to just be, ground yourself and appreciate your life. What’s the point of working so hard for it to ruin you? There’s no point. I love deep breathing in the car, shower or right now while I am typing. You are just too important to let stress control you. P.S. if you haven’t already, give meditation a go – it’s a win. 

Coconut turmeric chicken with vegetable stir-fry – check it out here

References

Asif, M. (2014, February 21). The prevention and control the type-2 diabetes by changing lifestyle and dietary pattern. PubMed. doi:10.4103/2277-9531.127541

Beyond Good Health Clinics. (n.d.). [image] of chronic fatigue. Retrieved August 03, 2016, from https://www.google.com.au/search?q=fatigue&biw=1366&bih=667&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjCl4Cv8aTOAhUJFZQKHaAxCKAQ_AUICCgB#imgrc=eHYfnUSvUhJwVM%3A

Food Standards, Australian and New Zealand. (2010). Retrieved from NUTTAB: http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/science/monitoringnutrients/nutrientables/nuttab/Pages/default.aspx

Healing, S. C. (Director). (2014). Your Immune System under a microscope. [Motion Picture]. Retrieved August 03, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPIzIznmAO0

Mercola, D. (2016). The Ultimate Guide to Antioxidants. Retrieved August 3, 2016, from http://articles.mercola.com/antioxidants.aspx

Rettener, R. (2016, March 10). The Human Body: Anatomy, Facts & Functions. Live Science. Retrieved July 27, 2016, from http://www.livescience.com/37009-human-body.html

Wedro, B. M. (2015, March 02). Fatigue. Retrieved July 27, 2016, from http://www.medicinenet.com/fatigue/article.htm

Whitney, E. R.-S. (2014). Understanding Nutrition, Australian and New Zealand, 2nd Edition. South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3205: CENGAGE Learning.

Ok, so we have all heard about detoxification and how great it is, but why is it so important? Does it really help our bodies or is it just another master scheme to get us to spend money? The answer is, yes, detoxification is a crucial component to achieving optimum health and should be done on a regular or quarterly basis. (1)

Why should we detoxify?

What goes in – must come out and our liver is working around the clock to remove that morning coffee, last night's’ wine and that delicious little muffin you just ate. Everything goes through the liver. Detoxification is compiled of many intricate and wondrous biochemical reactions to help rid your body of nasty toxin build up. Did you know that we are consistently detoxifying? Every bit of air we breathe, food we drink, meals we eat must be digested, put to good use or detoxified.

What our liver detoxifies each day:

• Metabolic end-waste
• Perfume and personal care products
• Washing detergents
• Food Pesticides and added hormones
• Pollutants and heavy metals
• Alcohol and Medications
• Food preservatives
• Paints and cleaning products

Who would have thought – we’re surrounded! These nasty substances can build up and guess where they are stored – your fat cells! Yikes!                          

Signs & Symptoms of Toxicity:

• Dry skin, eczema or acne
• Sinus congestion, irritated eyes or a runny nose
• Headaches, neck pain, joint or back pain
• Constipation, bloating or flatulence
• Inability to lose weight
• Insomnia, fatigue, depression, and irritability
• Frequent infections or allergic reactions
• Bad breath or body odour

How does it work?

Put simply, the liver has a 2 phase protocol:

Phase 1: Our body stimulates a variety of biochemical reactions to reduce the toxic compound into a less harmful and more soluble molecule. Free radicals are synthesised during these processes and must be excreted to avoid further damage in the body, which is why phase 2 is crucial.

Phase 2: The toxic chemicals bind with another substance allowing excretion to occur.

Top 10 Ways To Detoxify The Body:

1. Eliminate all processed foods
2. Eat all the colours of the rainbow with fresh organic fruit, vegetables and meats (this is why we are so passionate about nourishing food, so much goodness!
3. Drink plenty of filtered water or herbal teas (I recommend something containing green tea, dandelion root and St. Mary’s thistle)
4. Antioxidant rich foods such as berries and green leafy vegetables – I am in love with our GoodMix PondWater, which has amazing detoxification benefits (seriously!)
5. Consuming raw juices and bone broths to obtain nutrients – Try our homemade broths
6. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, sugar and other non-essential drugs
7. Avoid inflammatory compounds in foods such as dairy, wheat, legumes and soy
8. Endeavour to obtain 7 – 8 hours of sleep each night, without sufficient sleep the body reduces repair and detox time
9. Reduce stress, implement at least 10 - 20 minutes of meditation, affirmations or relaxation techniques daily
10. Exercise! Yep, we all know this one – so find something you love! Without sufficient exercise in our lives, we are depriving ourselves of sweating out toxins, circulating the blood, building/ repair/maintenance of bones and muscle, the release of natural endorphins along with optimising our energy levels.

Try our nourishing Chicken and Wild Rice Bone Broth Soup

What you receive with the Wholesomeness 30 and 14 Day Reset Plans:

• $100 FREE gift card to use with Brisbane Natural Health
• FREE personal training session with Training Spot
• 1 whole week FREE classes with Training Spot
• FREE support guru to help you through your detox
• 14 or 30 days of prepared meals and snacks
• Eating only organic, pastured meats and fresh locally sourced vegetables
• Elimination of sugar, grains, dairy, legumes and preservatives
• Delivered 3 times per week fresh to your door – Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
• Choose Pickup or delivery to Brisbane
• Two Free Days if you book 30 Days

Please note: It is important that if you are pregnant and elderly detoxification is a big no-no, if you are suffering from a current health situation, discuss a program with your health professional prior to any detoxification implementations.

Image 1: Reference http://www.positiveandhealthy.com/2016/03/21/symptoms-shows-body-full-toxins/ Retrieved 21/07/16

(1) http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/030314p34.shtml, date retrieved 21/07/2016

Before you reach for the chippies, chocolates or energy drinks try these energy boosting snack ideas that will keep you going to the next main meal.

Steering clear of simple carbohydrates is the key to healthy snacking. Low fibre, easily digested carbs found in refined grains tend to raise your blood sugar, which can leave you hungry again in a few hours.

I have to admit, I used to be a big snacker...in fact I would happily graze all day missing lunch completely before I got organised and serious about good nutrition, by taking control of my main meals and overall diet. I am amazed at how much more energy I have now. Besides, flaking out at 4.00pm is simply not an option now that I have small children!

The trick to healthy snacking is to ensure it's not too much food to interfere with your appetite for that next main meal. Digestion is a four hour process and if you're not getting hungry in between meals your gastro intestinal system is not going to turn on the right hormones to process the food you are eating, leading to digestive issues and weight gain.

So if you have lunch at 12.00pm but are planning dinner with friends at 7.00 or 8.00pm, you might need a snack to get you through at about 4.00pm.

There are endless choices for snacks - and most packaged ones should be avoided. They usually contain vegetable oils, sugar (in all it's many forms) and salt. A much wiser choice would be something fresh like fruit, vegetable sticks or whole foods with little processing, and look for a balance of the healthiest sources of fats, carbs, and protein. For example:

1. Natural or Greek-style yoghurt with a sprinkling of grain-free granola (see our new range of Good Mix products in the online menu like Neo-Blend here)
2. 35g of a home made trail mix, we add our favourite nuts like cashews, pecans, walnuts and almonds, a small amount of dried fruit like goji berries, apricots, dates and cherries, flaked coconut and pepitas - you can even add a piece of low sugar dark chocolate (see our other new offering, Pana Chocolate here)
3. A small portion of hummus or home made pesto dip - about 1/4 cup is enough for a snack - and have with it broccoli florrets, baby carrots and cucumbers and cherry tomatoes
4. An apple sliced, served on a small plate with 1 Tbsp almond butter slathered on the edges
5. A banana sliced lengthways with 1 Tbsp natural peanut butter spread on and sandwiched back together
6. Your choice of cheese (just a small wedge), a piece of pear and some raisins (like a mini cheese platter for one - this is my personal all time favourite snack)
7. A small fruit with a sprinkling of grain-free granola or a garden salad (think a cup full or 250ml), shaved parmesan and a dash of good quality olive oil will definitely keep you going until that 8.00pm dinner scenario.

There is no need to deny yourself a little snack here and there. But if you find yourself zombified at 3.30pm everyday, it might be time to reassess what you are eating for breakfast and lunch on a regular basis. Is there a good balance of carbs, protein and fats for your body and brain? You are an individual, only you will know what is right for you.

Basil Pesto Dip Recipe

1. Place a bunch of basil (leaves and small stems only),
   1/4 cup pine nuts,
   1/4 cup cashews,
   30g parmesan (cut into small pieces),
   30ml good quality extra virgin olive oil and
   1 small clove of garlic
   in a food processor and process until combined.
2. Place dip in a bowl and serve with broccoli florrets, sliced capsicum 'scoops' baby carrots, cucumbers and cherry tomatoes

What are your favourite snacks?

Don't miss out on the things you love - that's no fun! Take a step back (when you're not starving at 3.00pm and dreaming of chocolate cake) and see if you can 'healthify' your favourite snack food. Let me know in the comments below what you crave and I'll answer with some ideas on how to make it more healthy for you.

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If you’re struggling with changing your diet and lifestyle, you may want to consider hiring a health coach, the idea is pretty simple – you want to make the changes necessary to be your best – but ‘stuff’ keeps getting in the way. A coach can help you listen to your body first and use the information that best works for you.

As a Nutrition Consultant and Certified Health Coach I'd love to talk to you about a free introduction to Health Coaching. To make a one-on-one appointment contact me today on george@wholesomeness.com.au

I think Australian's are pretty clued up when it comes to eating for good health. We have traditionally eaten a fresh food diet, it's only in the past 50 years that so much processed food has made it into our homes. It's this bad habit of grabbing convenience foods loaded with salt, preservatives, flavour additives and sugars that contributes to so many allergies, intolerances, metabolic issues and poor health leading to chronic disease. I want to show you it's easy to break the habit and make the most from your lunchtime - regardless of where you actually eat this important meal.

From fast-food restaurants, even the innocent corner cafe with 'home made' muffins (read sugary cakes most likely cooked in a production kitchen somewhere else) and bakery pastries (read layers of bad fats) to supermarket shelves exploding with high-fat and high-sugar add-ons, lunchtime can be like running the gauntlet of temptation for those trying to eat a healthy and balanced diet.

But a healthy, delicious and enjoyable lunch can be done. And you will probably save money, energy and time with these simple tips.

When planning your meal, it should include lean protein - try a piece of wild salmon, poached or roasted chicken breast, nuts, cheeses, legumes - whole-grain carbohydrates, and fresh produce.

It doesn't have to be raw vegetables with salad leaves either, get creative with some leftover roasted vegies, they make a delicious plant based salad. Or try adding some fruits such as thinly sliced pear or apple, even strawberries - I kid you not - they add a delicious dimension to savoury plates, try matching these fruits with cheeses. Blue vein and pear are a match made in heaven. Chicken, camembert and stone fruits are another great combination.

Roughly half of your plate should be vegetables; one-quarter should be lean protein and one-quarter should be whole grains, such as half a cup of brown rice, quinoa or some legumes (they are just the seeds of the plant after all) like lentils. You might include a small amount of healthy fat, such as a tablespoon of olive oil and cider vinegar or lemon juice to dress up your salad.

Be wary of salad-bar style salads, or packet salads from supermarkets. They sometimes contain unhealthy fats, hidden sugar, and salt — not to mention lots of kilojoules.

Follow these four steps to creating your own signature version of a satisfying, healthy lunch. The trick is building in flavour so it is satisfying and not turfed in the bin at work the moment someone suggests going to the pub for Parmie Tuesday. Or was that just 27 year old me who used to do that?!

Step 1: Build your vegetable base. Loading your plate with raw or blanched leafy greens and raw, grilled or roasted vegetables means you are already halfway to healthy right there - and is an excellent source of phytonutrients that you can't help but eat with all the flavour you'll pile on top in the next steps. 

Step 2: Add your protein choice. You might try a few handfuls of chickpeas or kidney beans, perhaps if you have time some felafel for example. Beans are one of the best sources of fibre - and they're filling -  so you're going to be satisfied after your meal. Other good selections include grilled chicken, small amounts of cheese, and I love chopped boiled eggs and sliced plain egg omelette if I have the time. Be frugal with your cheeses, it only takes a sprinkle of strongly flavoured varieties like feta or Parmesan to deliver the flavour. Cheese also delivers a lot of kilojoules per weight, so keep this in mind when you are imagining dividing your plate into quarters as mentioned above.

Step 3: Add a small amount of healthy fat. Sprinkle on the nuts and seeds. They are high in heart-healthy unsaturated fat and healthy protein, give you a feeling of fullness, and help food stay in your stomach longer. Load up on avocado, it's so good for you. You might also opt for a dash of quality olive oil.

Step 4: Whole grains and fruits make a flavourful addition to any creative salad. Look for whole grains like quinoa or teff to sprinkle on top. Or add a few slices of fruit. Try seaweed to add flavour and minerals.

My other favourite lunch ideas are vegetable soup. I make a big batch on the weekend and freeze it into portions and defrost before I leave the house and put it into my single serve thermos which I purchased at Biome and is simply awesome - because you can make it hot (for soups) or cold for yoghurt and granola. I actually have two for this purpose if I know I'm going to be out all day.

And check out this video for some pre-made portable 'jar' lunch ideas - only if you have a fridge to store it in - until lunchtime rolls around. Sometimes I do this when I make kids lunches and just put it in my fridge until I am ready to eat - then I don't have to think about it while I'm working from home and they are at school and I'm counting down the hours wondering how I'm going to fit everything in until I have to go do the pick-up run!! Some great soup bases to get these jars going are: miso, thermomix (or similar) homemade stock paste, teaspoon of curry paste and some coconut milk. They all give amazing soupy flavour when you add boiling water at lunchtime.

One of the best pieces of advice I can offer EVERYONE is to eat a good lunch. It should be the largest meal of the day with balanced portions of carbs, protein and fats to give you the fuel to get through the afternoon and then enjoy a smaller meal in the evening while you are winding down for a restful and rejuvenating sleep. A great lunch makes you a better human being.

If you want to learn about other effective strategies for healthy eating, talk to me about booking a free initial consultation for my health coaching service. I love to help people realise they are the ones in control of their health and actualise a healthy and long life for themselves and their families.