Health4Tips: healthy eating

Showing posts with label healthy eating. Show all posts

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Deliciously decadent chia pudding

Chia seeds seem to be one of the newest "superfoods" on the block and get mentioned everywhere. These little black (or white) seeds are probably closest in taste and texture to poppy seeds, but with a whole lot more exciting properties.

Chia seeds are derived from the desert plant Salvia hispanica, a member of the mint family. They can be eaten raw or added to foods and have some pretty impressive nutritional properties:

Omega 3 fatty acids– These essential fats that are important for heart health and brain function. Chia seeds are unusually high in omega 3s, and one of the best plant sources. Of the 30% total fat found in chia seeds, more than half is alpha linolenic acid (ALA), which is the plant form of omega-3.
Fibre - Chia's 34% fibre is higher than that of flaxseeds (linseed) or sesame seeds, and works out to be about 10g in two tablespoons (which would make a significant contribution to the 25–30g it's recommended we consume daily). Chia seeds are so high in fibre you need to be careful not to go overboard when you first start eating them- or your belly will notice!
Protein and calcium - They are also an excellent source of protein and extremely high in calcium – at 631mg per 100g, this is five times the level in milk (although it may not be so readily absorbed).
Chia is also a source of other important minerals including iron, magnesium and zinc. Oh – and it's gluten free, too.

Not surprisingly, many foodies claim chia is a "super" food and list all sorts of health benefits, many of which are over-rated. But while it is a food with some nutritional advantages, it is not magical. What we do know from limited evidence is that including chia seeds as part of a healthy diet may help improve cardiovascular risk factors, such as lowering cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure. And although claims of weight loss may be far-fetched, the claim that chia helps you feel fuller for longer is likely more valid, due to its high fibre and protein content.

So what can you do with chia seeds?

Add them wherever you like.I have long been using them sprinkled on breakfast cereal or added to porridge and bakers put them in pancakes, bread, muffins and cakes. But the neat thing about chia seeds are their ability to retain water- in fact they will soak up ten times their weight in liquid - making them ideal for setting and "gelling" puddings and sauces. Apparently they can be used as an alternative to eggs? (Can't say I've tried that one).

I was a little skeptical in making chia puddings as I have bought commercial ones from the supermarket before and to be honest found them gag-worthy - the one I bought in a little tub was cloyingly sweet, watery and a little slimy and went straight in the garbage. So with some hesitation I tried them at home without a completely different outcome - I think using Greek yoghurt changed the texture to a rich creaminess which was divine!

Here's the recipe:

CHIA BREAKFAST PUDDING

1 cup milk (cows milk, almond, soy, whatever)

1 cup Greek yoghurt

1/3 cup chia seeds

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 TBSP honey or maple syrup (or stevia or whatever sweetener you prefer)

a sprinkle of cinnamon

Fresh fruit

Method:

Mix milk, yoghurt, vanilla, cinnamon and honey in a jug and whisk until smooth.

Add chia seeds and stir well. Let sit on the bench for 20 mins or so until it starts to set then stir again to ensure the seeds haven't all sunk to the bottom.

Pour mixture into four containers and cover in the fridge overnight to set fully. You can eat them in 2 hours but they taste best after 8 or so.

I layered them with strwberries, blueberries, passionfruit pulp and coconut. I sprinkled almonds on the top of mine and ate it out of the jar, my husband spooned his into a bowl and topped it with muesli. Delicious!

OTHER OPTIONS

Once you have the liquid : seed ratio right, then go wild. Blend fresh or frozen berries with your yoghurt, add nutmeg and star anise for a chai flavour, use coconut milk (watch the saturated fat) and sliced mango for a tropical summer feel, or add oats or quinoa to make a bircher pudding. They also work for dessert options as below:

CHIA MOCHA CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Want the amazing texture of chocolate mousse with extra health benefits? Chia puddings can go there too!

1 cup milk (cows milk, almond, soy, whatever)

1 cup Greek yoghurt

1/3 cup chia seeds

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp vanilla extract or coffee extract for a mocha flavour

2 TBSP honey or maple syrup (or stevia or whatever sweetener you prefer)

berries and choc chips for topping (or nuts, honeycomb, crushed cookies, whatever!)

Method:

Mix milk, yoghurt, vanilla/coffee, cocoa and honey in a jug and whisk until smooth and the cocoa is well mixed through.

Add chia seeds and stir well. Let sit on the bench for 20 mins or so until it starts to set then stir again to ensure the seeds haven't all sunk to the bottom.

Pour mixture into four containers and cover in the fridge overnight to set fully. I poured ours into fancy dessert glasses and topped with fresh raspberries and dark choc chips. You can eat them in 2 hours but they taste best after 8 or so.

Bon appetit!

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Warm winter quinoa porridge - my favourite morning recipes.

Privacy breakfast , diabetes

Quinoa porridge with currants, cinnamon, strawberries and maple syrup.

The winter has been cold and I've been cooking porridge for breakfast most mornings and thought I'd share with you some of my tips. Most of us know how to make porridge from oats, but I can't eat oats, so my experiment this winter has been with quinoa. And what a successful experiment it has been!

Are you a quinoa fan? Quinoa looks like a grain but its actually a seed and comes from a relative of the spinach plant, and what a tasty and versatile seed it can be. Cooked by itself it has a mild nutty flavour, but will rapidly absorb whatever flavours you cook it with. You can use it plain in place of rice or cous cous, or cook it flaked like oats. It's gluten free, low GI (it has a glycaemic index of 53) and is high in protein. What's not to love? (for more on quinoa click here --> Notes on quinoa

First decision you need to make is if you would like to make your porridge with whole grain quinoa or with quinoa flakes. Flakes will give you a creamy porridge very similar to oats, and are much quicker to prepare and cook. They are, however, a bit less versatile. Whole quinoa seeds take longer and give you a chewier nuttier texture, but the one bag of quinoa can be used for all manner of things, from salads to risottos. I tend to mix it up a bit from day to day, so I'll give you the instructions for both.

Clockwise from top: quinoa seeds, chia seeds, currants, quinoa flakes, pepitas
(shredded coconut in the middle and bananas and strawberries of course!)

Creamy porridge with quinoa flakes
This is my rapid everyday porridge and gives you a creamy finish.
Ingredients:

1/2 cup quinoa flakes
1 cup milk of your choice (I use dairy but rice, soy, almond milk would work fine too, you could also cook in water if you prefer)
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp cinnamon
1-2 tsps something to sweeten - I use honey or maple syrup, but you could use brown sugar, stevia or anything else
small handful of currants (optional)

Method:

Put 1 cup milk in a heavy based pot on low heat. Add vanilla essence. Bring to simmer.
As soon as it is simmering turn heat down and add quinoa flakes, cinnamon and currants. Stir on low heat for 2-5 minutes until milk is absorbed and creamy texture is achieved. This doesn't take long so don't walk away!
Serve with a drizzle of your favourite sweetener, fruit, nuts or whatever toppings.

Optional extras:

Peanut butter, banana and honey quinoa porridge. Heavenly!

I've already mentioned the currants - I love adding them in with the cooking porridge and they add a bit of caramel sweetness to the porridge, like a surprise!
I also enjoy chia seeds, which are packed with fibre and omega 3 fatty acids, I usually stir a tablespoon through at the end for crunch.
My standard go-to toppings are fresh strawberries or blueberries, a tiny sprinkle of shredded coconut, flaked almonds and pumpkin and sunflower seeds. Frozen berries would also work fine as would any poached fruit.
You can try grating apple into your porridge and adding a little more cinnamon, some maple syrup and crushed walnuts to taste like an apple strudel!
If you're feeling like a tasty comforting treat try adding a spoonful of peanut or almond butter at the end of cooking to melt into your porridge, and top with sliced banana and a drizzle of honey. Just amazing!

Chewy porridge with whole quinoa

If you have a little more time, only have some whole quinoa seeds handy or prefer your porridge more chewy and less creamy then here's an option for you. I like it both ways and tend to mix it up a bit - strictly speaking this is not really like oats porridge at all, but hey, it tastes good too! Whole quinoa takes around 20 minutes so if I'm making it this way I tend to get it cooking the night before while I'm cleaning the kitchen after dinner, then pop it in the fridge ready for the morning.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup quinoa (white quinoa is the quickest to cook and mildest in flavour, I tend to use a mixture of white red and black just for colour and a bit more taste!)
1 cup milk of your choice (I use dairy but rice, soy, almond milk would work fine too, you could also cook in water if you prefer)
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp cinnamon
1-2 tsps something to sweeten - I use honey or maple syrup, but you could use brown sugar, stevia or anything else to taste

Nutty chewy whole quinoa is another choice for breakfast

small handful of currants (optional)

Method:

Wash your quinoa seeds well in a fine sieve under running water (quinoa has a natural coating called saponins to protect it and this can taste bitter. Many commercial supplies have been pre-washed, but if you're not sure, spending 5 minutes to rinse it is well worth the time).
Put 1 cup milk in a heavy based pot on low heat. Add vanilla essence. Bring to simmer.
As soon as it is simmering turn heat down and add quinoa, cinnamon and currants.
Cook slowly in a covered pot on low heat for 15-20 minutes or so until milk is absorbed and quinoa is chewy but not hard. Check it regularly so it doesn't burn on the bottom
Once it's cooked I keep it in a container in the fridge, and when ready to serve in the morning add a splash of milk and give it 60 seconds on high in the microwave for steaming porridge!

Optional extras:

Blueberries, chia seeds, a sprinkle of coconut and walnuts!

Just like with the flakes, I often add currants - I love adding them in with the cooking porridge and they add a bit of caramel sweetness to the porridge, like a surprise!
My standard go-to toppings are fresh strawberries or blueberries, a tiny sprinkle of shredded coconut, and I often add crushed walnuts - another tasty source of omega 3 fatty acids and the flavour mixes well.
If you feel like something a tad more exotic, add cinnamon, star anise and some cardamon seeds as the quinoa is cooking and serve with yoghurt and a drizzle of honey. Tastes like a chai latte!

If you need any better reason to consider cooking breakfast, have a read of my blog post on the beauty of breakfast here, and for another tasty option you might like to try cooking up some of my mini-breakfast frittatas (great for lunchboxes too!) or mix your own muesli.

However you decide to make it, I hope you enjoy your lovely winter quinoa. Share with me here or on Facebook any other flavour ideas you may have!

Bon appetit!

Lyndal at Lean Green and Healthy

Learning to love legumes - reblogging a great article by Sally Marchini

Privacy fibre , healthy eating

Well, seeing yesterday's post was about resistant starch and the gut microbiome, it's only fitting that today I want to share a post about one of the excellent natural sources of resistant starch- that would be legumes. Legumes are things like peas, beans and lentils and they are nutritional powerhouses with fantastic nutrient qualities, a great source of plant based protein, low GI carbohydrates and, you guessed it, resistant starch.

The blog I am sharing today is by my friend Sally Marchini - Accredited Practising Dietitian and the social media dietitian for Diabetes Counselling Online. Sally can be frequently found on social media and over at her own place, Marchini Nutrition, and she has a wonderful, practical and balanced approach to good healthy nutrition. Here's what Sally has to say about legumes (just click on the title below to go to the article)

Learning to love legumes

Her tips for using legumes in all sorts of ways are great and worth bookmarking for that day when you're all out of inspiration - I know I will.

Want to read more of Sally's great posts? A list of her blog posts can be found here - I recommend you have a look!
And don't forget to love your legumes!!

Lyndal @ Lean Green and Healthy

Resistant starch and a healthy gut

Privacy fibre , healthy eating

Happy Monday morning everyone!

There's an interesting commentary in today's Medical Journal of Australia on resistant starch - we should be eating more of it !

So what is resistant starch?

Resistant starch is a type of dietary fibre that is fermented in the large bowel and feeds the gut microbiome- the bacteria in your bowel that do so much good. Despite the messages to eat more fibre, and people are doing that, most people are increasing their fibre with processed foods like cereals, which don't necessarily contain resistant starch. More fibre yes, but all the great health benefits, no. There is evidence that a healthy gut microbiome plays a role in preventing diabetes, obesity and some cancers, so its worth taking a moment to understand how to keep it healthy.

Click here for more from the CSIRO:

So where do you find resistant starch?

It can be found in some starchy fruits and vegetables (eg bananas and sweet potatoes), in legumes (have I told you how awesome beans, chick peas and lentils are lately?) and interestingly, in some cooked and cooled starchy foods. Cooking and cooling starchy foods like rice, pasta and potatoes, and eating them cold, lowers the GI and increases the amount of resistant starch. Add some healthy fats and lemon juice and you lower the GI further - so in great news for the southern hemisphere, summer is coming and its time for potato salad, pasta salad and rice salad OH YEAH!

For more interesting information on resistant starch check out this post from Precision Nutrition here:
All about resistant starch

You can read the article from Medical Journal of Australia here:
Feeding a hungry microbiome

And here's some great recipes for summer salads from the Australian Healthy Food Guide, search the site for more:
Tuna and chargrilled vegetable pasta salad
Classic potato salad
Veggie packed brown rice salad

So there's your challenge for this week, go feed your gut!!

Lyndal @ Lean Green and Healthy

What does a balanced meal look like?

Privacy breakfast , dinner

I keep harping on about a balanced diet. Balanced this and balanced that. In my posts about breakfasts and even snacks, I keep referring to this. What do I mean?

I think its important to think about each meal as an opportunity to nourish yourself. To nourish your senses with wonderful colours and flavours, aromas and textures. And to nourish your body with an array of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients it needs. And finally you could also go as far as to say to nourish your soul with the pride of a home cooked meal, or the company of friends on a special occasion, or family around your regular dinner table or the quiet peace of contentedly eating by yourself.

Now not every single meal will do all of these things, but I believe its a great way to think about your food and how it nourishes you. But moving beyond these qualities of your meal, how much of everything do you include? Well this first post is about balance, then later we will talk about portion sizes.

Think about your plate like a clock face and divide it into quarters. Two of these quarters (half your plate) at every meal should be fruit or non starchy vegetables. One of the quarters should be lean protein, and one of your quarters should be starches - low GI carbohydrates. Add to this a small amount of healthy fats and oils and you have a balanced meal. This is how I try to plan every meal.

So what does this look like practically?

Well let's start with the easiest plate to imagine - dinner time. Here's a dinner photo I found off the internet:

This plate is about right with half the plate made up of salad, a quarter of lean protein (the lamb cutlets) and a quarter of low GI carbohydrates (the tasty looking wild rice mix). But most of us don't get this right at dinner - we tend to eat too much carbohydrates (how much pasta do you pile upon your plate? how many potatoes? what about bread?) and also too much meat - imagine how large a big steak would look on a plate like this. And rarely do we as a population eat HALF of our plate as fruit or vegetables. But these are the simple changes in proportions that will make all the difference when you're watching your weight or improving your health.

So that's some ideas for dinner, the easy one, but what about the other meals? You see EVERY meal should be in balance like this. Over 90% of Australians don't eat enough fruit and vegetables a day, and this is the case for most other Western countries. Do you eat fruit and vegetables with every meal?

Here's a breakfast plate to show you- its a photo I took when I was eating out for breakfast with my husband. Half the plate is vegetables (spinach, mushrooms and tomatoes) with lean protein (eggs), low GI carbohydrates (the beans) and some good fats (avocado). Granted it is quite a big breakfast, but it was also delicious!

Or if cooked breakfast isn't your thing, what about cereal? how much do you eat? Most processed cereals are very highly processed, high GI and loaded with sugar and fat and usually doesn't cover our other bases. Here's another balanced breakfast plate. Note that half the bowl is filled with fruit (in this case strawberries, blueberries and raspberries) and the other quarters (piled on top of each other) are the protein (Greek yoghurt) low GI carbs (muesli) and good fats (in the seeds and nuts). This is what I have for breakfast most days of the week.

Getting the picture?

Lets do one more. How about the lunch I had today. You should be getting good at this by now!! This is a bit trickier because its all piled in a heap, but can you pick out the different foods?

I started with the vegetables by piling the bowl full of spinach leaves and tomatoes. Then I added the low GI carbs (can you see the sneaky chick peas? there are about 3 tablespoons of chick peas in the salad). Next came the protein - a small can of tuna and some feta cheese. Finally I topped it with some good fats in the form of sunflower seeds, pepitas and avocado. Oh and the raisins on top are a little more fruit!

Now whether you are eating a salad bowl or breakfast like me, or a big grainy sandwich, or a baked dinner with all the trimmings, think about the balance on your plate. Half non-starchy veggies/fruits, quarter protein, quarter low GI carbs and some tasty healthy fats and you will be on the way to great balanced health. This is an easy change you can make right now :)

So, in summary!

1/2 Plate Vegetables
Fill up your plate with raw or cooked vegetables for nutrition, taste and healthy filling fibre. Remember to include many different colours and types for a full array of nutrients.

1/4 Plate Lean Protein
Lean protein will help you to stay satiated, sustain your energy throughout the day, and protect your heart and waistline. This can be lean meats, fish and also non meat sources of protein such as soy, nuts, tofu and others. Remember, twice as many vegetables as protein.

1/4 Plate Healthy low GI carbohydrates (or starches)
Whole grains, like brown rice, contain fibre to give you long-lasting energy, stabilise blood sugar and provide B-vitamins to protect your heart. Try quinoa, sweet potatoes, pumpkins and more! Legumes are excellent for this also. The more colourful your starch, the better!

We will talk soon about portion sizes. In the meantime if you want to know more about the foods we should be including daily, check out the Australian Healthy Eating Guide. And if you need more specific advice tailored to you, see a dietitian!

Bon appetit!

Related posts:
What to eat for a healthier you
To snack or not to snack, that is the question
The beauty of breakfast

Lyndal @ Lean Green and Healthy

Weekend Flicks - How cooking can change your life (Michael Pollan)

Privacy healthy eating , videos

I am a huge fan of Michael Pollan. If you haven't heard of him yet, he is a food journalist who has written several incisive and incredibly well researched books on the dilemma of obesity and the food industry. One of these books is "Food Rules" - a seemingly very simple book which describes some of the quite intuitive principles we have moved away from. Short but sweet. In two and a half minutes listen to how cooking can change your life.

Lyndal @ Lean Green and Healthy

Juices, smoothies or plain old fruit and veggies?

Privacy diet , healthy eating

I was sitting in the waiting room of my doctor's office today, watching rubbish daytime television (lucky me!) which included a stream of infomercials for juicers, blenders and shakes in packets. Many diet sites and nutrition books talk about juices and smoothies, and everywhere you look lately someone is carrying a glass jar with something green in it (what is it with jars?) Movies like "Fat sick and nearly dead" promote juicing for weight loss and many magazines promote juice "cleanses". Boost juice and other juice franchises are booming and fancy appliances are for sale in every shopping centre. You may feel that if you're not making juices or smoothies then you must be doing it wrong. So what's the lowdown on juices and smoothies and are there any health benefits over and above just eating fruit and vegetables? Let's have a look.

What's the difference between juices and smoothies?

To make a juice you need a juice extractor (or "juicer") which removes the liquid from fruit and vegetables leaving the pulp and fibre behind. A smoothie, however, is made in a blender or food processor and uses the whole fruit including the fibre. This difference in preparation has a big impact on the health effects of these drinks.

Let's start with juices

Proponents of juicing can be an extreme lot, with websites using words like "miracle cure", "cleansing healing" and many other health claims that make me distinctly uneasy. There are significant health benefits found from eating more fruit and vegetables but no reputable science to suggest that there is any health benefit specific to juicing. In fact there are some reasons why juicing should be approached with caution.

When using a juicer, the juice and most of the vitamins and nutrients of the fruit and vegetables are extracted, and the pulp and fibre are left behind. So does this matter? In fact it does. Dietary fibre is vitally important for the normal functioning of the bowel and only around 2/3 of Australians and half of Americans meet the recommended 30g of dietary fibre a day. Meeting that 30g a day can decrease the risk of heart disease, diabetes and bowel cancer. Juicing your vegetables will lower your fibre intake and make this situation worse.

Fibre not only provides benefit to your bowel, but within fruit it also binds the fructose (natural sugars) of the fruit so they are released more slowly. Remove the fibre and the juices can play havoc with your blood sugar level even if you are healthy, and dramatically so if you have diabetes.

Fibre also makes up a significant volume of the fruit - remove this and it will take a lot of fruit and vegetables to make a glass of juice. You may need to juice 5 or 6 oranges to make a glass of juice. Apart from being expensive, this also means the calories add up and even the natural sugars of fruit that are healthy in regular doses can end up being a problem in that big a dose. Have you ever tried to eat 6 oranges in a row? Probably not because you would get too full. Yet we would not think twice about drinking a glass of orange juice with our meal. That is just not healthy.

By definition juices do not contain protein or fibre, both of which are important to satiate hunger and make you feel full. This means that juices can leave you quite hungry afterwards so can lead to added unnecessary calories.

"Juice cleanses" are heavily promoted and should be avoided. The lack of protein, fibre and fluctuating sugars involved in a juice only diet can leave people fatigued, weak, and with rapid weight loss (which is usually muscle rather than fat.) This kind of rapid weight loss can have significant effects on the long term metabolism and make future attempts to lose weight harder (see this post). For people with diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance the risks are magnified and the blood sugar effects of juicing can be dangerous.

Some of the health claims made by juicing proponents are quite preposterous. Just looking at a couple of websites recently I found some claims that do not make sense. One site said that juices were excellent for "cleansing and detoxification" which is completely unjustified. Your body does not need to be "detoxified" - your liver and kidneys do that for you all the time without any intervention from you. And as for cleansing, considering it is the fibre in fruit and vegetables that "sweep" your bowel clean and keep it functioning efficiently, cutting out all the fibre by juicing is likely to not cleanse but in fact have the opposite effect! And apart from all the crazy claims of miracle cures of every disease known to man, one site even said juicing meant "nutrients were available in much larger quantities than if you eat them whole" - I am not sure how the juice extractor is going to actually make MORE vitamins? That's some scientifically magical appliance that I really need to see to believe!

So what about smoothies then?

As smoothies are made in a blender, the whole fruit or vegetable including all the fibre and pulp is retained. This resolves a lot of the problems with juices losing the pulp (and the fibre and nutrients contained in that pulp). It also means the volume of the fruit/vegetable is maintained so you use less of the whole product and it fills you up.

Smoothies use blenders rather than juice extractors (cheaper to buy and easier to clean) and are therefore a bit more versatile. If you use your smoothie as a base to add some protein (such as Greek yoghurt, egg or nut butters) and some low GI carbohydrates (oats, quinoa, low GI fruit) you can have a balanced home made meal replacement if you wish. Some people add protein powders, which is probably quite unnecessary but is an option. Some recipes have 4-5 pieces of fruit on board - just be careful if you start adding those commercial supplements, plus fruit, yoghurt, honey etc you can end up with a high calorie option. Be very careful of commercially made smoothies as some have up to 30g sugar (that's 6 teaspoons full).

So what's the bottom line?
Eating fruit and vegetables is very good for you - in fact is an essential part of a healthy diet. There is no scientific evidence that blending them and keeping the fibre has any nutritional or health benefit over eating them whole. Juicing them without the fibre can have significant health impacts (especially if you have bowel problems or diabetes).

1. If you are meeting your daily requirements of 2 serves of fruit and 5+ serves of vegetables and are happy with what you are doing, there is no health reason for you to start making smoothies. You're already doing it right!

2. If you are struggling to get all your serves of fruit and veg in a day and need another way, or if you are bored and you think a blended smoothie might be a nice change for you, then go right ahead. There are some great smoothie recipes online, but here's some basic principles. Treat it like a proper balanced meal, not just a drink with extra calories. Add dairy or alternatives, natural lean protein, low GI carbohydrates and keep the ingredients simple with one or two serves of vegetable or fruit. Remember the calories add up. It can make a great breakfast on the run and is certainly far superior to eating a processed breakfast bar, a fatty take away or skipping breakfast altogether. I believe there is no need to add a processed protein powder to your meal unless it has been recommended by a doctor or dietitian - there is very little evidence they are of benefit to most people with a healthy balanced diet.

3. I wouldn't recommend anybody take part in a "juice fast" or a "juice cleanse" at all. If you are going to drink juices, then stick to mainly vegetable juices, have them occasionally, and keep fruit juice as a drink for special occasions only. Treat all extracted juices with caution and monitor regularly if you have diabetes.

For me, I think I'll just stick with eating my fruit and vegetables and drinking my water :)

Lyndal @ Lean Green and Healthy

Related posts you may wish to read:
Stop dieting now. Please!
What to eat for a healthier you
The beauty of breakfast
When it comes to diets, one-size-doesn't-fit-all

Stop dieting now. PLEASE!!

Privacy diet , healthy eating

STOP DIETING NOW. Please. With a significant and growing proportion of our population now overweight or obese, I’m urging you, please, don’t go on any more diets.
Now before you think I’ve lost my mind, let me explain why.

You may have read my previous post on why "one-size-doesn't-fit-all" when it comes to diets. One of the points I make in that post is that the word "diet" traditionally just meant the food we eat every day, our daily menu so to speak. But in modern times this word has been charged with so much more meaning (and judgement). We now refer to a "diet" as a restriction of our food, as a set of rules or choices, as a formula or requirement to eat a certain way, and the implication that by "dieting" we are somehow restricting or depriving ourselves. And finally there is the Diet with a capital D - the food plan that comes with a name, a trademark, a book, a TV show, a range of supplements and a one true faith to believe in, often with a cult like fervour and a celebrity to endorse it. And in many cases it is sold as the one, the only, way to eat. Diet has become a dirty four letter word and can fill people with fear and dread.

So if we agree on that definition, and knowing that I'm a doctor and I want you to be as healthy as possible, then why don't I want you to go on a diet?

Firstly, "diets" make you gain weight. Yes, you heard right. I'm not talking about gaining weight during the 12 weeks you are doing the particular plan on the internet or the 60 days you follow the book or the three months you attend the meetings. Most diets, no matter how intense or how crazy, will help you lose weight during that time. I'm talking about afterwards. People who follow a restrictive "diet" generally end up fatter than people who don't in the long run.

The weight-amplifying effect of dieting was evaluated in a study in 2011 based on over

2,000 sets of twins from Finland. The results indicate that dieting itself, independent of genetics, is significantly associated with accelerated weight gain and increased the risk of becoming overweight. The researchers concluded, “It is now well established that the more people engage in dieting, the more they gain weight in the long-term.” This study adds to a body of research which shows that dieting and the ensuing cycling of losing weight, re-gaining weight, and gaining more weight with each subsequent diet, ratchets the baseline weight up even higher, beyond the original weight.

How does this work? The first issue is that very low calorie diets can cause the body to lose a disproportionate amount of muscle mass (which is not the type of weight that any one wants to lose). People are happy because they lose weight fast (on the scales) and look smaller but it is our muscle mass that actually burns the most calories for us in the background. Lose fat AND muscle and you end up thinner, but utilising less and less energy on a daily basis and therefore require less and less calories just to stay the same. After a while the weight loss slows, then stops then people start to re-gain weight even if they are eating the same amount. Do this cycle enough times and you end up with someone who is strictly dieting AND overweight at the same time.

Secondly, extreme caloric restrictions are a physical stress on your body. In patients on low calorie diets (and interestingly also in patients on a ketogenic low carbohydrate diets) some studies have shown markedly increased levels of cortisol, a stress hormone. Cortisol raises blood sugar, and stimulates laying down of fat, especially around your abdomen where it is most dangerous. The other metabolic effects of "dieting" can also cause a change in the hormones that control satiety and hunger - patients are more preoccupied with food, feel more hungry and are less likely to feel full, and this can continue for some time after their "diet" is over.

The statistical bottom line is that the vast majority of short term diets don't work. Sure you will lose weight short term (probably water, fat and muscle), but within 2 years the vast majority of people are the same weight if not heavier than they were before. Funny enough, we seem to know this intuitively, yet we still try keep getting back on the diet cycle. A current Australian weight loss company are using a celebrity in their advertisements who previously and publicly lost a significant amount of weight on their program, has regained it, and is now on their new TV campaign starting again, because she "knows it works". Really? Depends on your definition of "works" I guess. Her weight gain is nothing to be ashamed of and is not her fault, in fact its almost standard for any short term extreme diet, but I find it interesting that it is part of the TV commercial to sell the program. How many people do you know that have weight problems that say they are going to weight watchers again or signing up for another 12 week body transformation program again "because it worked last time". Did it really? If it worked, why do you need to sign up again?

Blogger Ragen Chastain actually describes this really well. She says "I think the diet industry continues to be so successful is that they have found a way to take credit for the (typically successful) short term results of dieting, but blame the client for the (typically unsuccessful) long term results. They know that almost everyone can lose some weight in the short term on almost any diet. They also know that their 5 year success rate is less than 5% but somehow they managed to convince people that the other 95% just didn’t doing it right, and should buy their product again. And we do!"

So if I don't want you to diet, what do I want you to do?

1. Firstly I want you to avoid a fad diet. According to the Better Health Channel Victoria, A fad diet generally has some or all of the following features:

Promises a quick fix
Promotes 'magic' foods or combinations of foods
Implies that food can change body chemistry
Excludes or severely restricts food groups or nutrients, such as carbohydrates
Has rigid rules that focus on weight loss
Makes claims based on a single study or testimonials only.
Is anything that you cannot maintain for the rest of your life without restriction, unhappiness or difficulty

2. I would encourage you not to focus on a diet but instead on a healthy eating plan. My eating prinicples are listed on my blog here, but the general principles for any health eating plan include:

Plenty of vegetables, legumes and fruits.
A variety of grains preferably wholegrain, low glycaemc index and minimally processed
Lean meat, fish, poultry or alternative sources of lean protein.
Milk, yoghurts, cheeses or alternatives sources of calcium.
Plenty of water.
A moderate amount of total fat and limited saturated fat.
A limited amount of salt.
A limited amount of processed and refined sugars, and food and drinks containing added sugars. In particular, limit sugar-sweetened beverages.
Limited alcohol intake, if you choose to drink.
Portion sizes appropriate to your size, age and exercise level.
Flexibility to enjoy treats in moderation.

3. I would like you to try and be mindful of your eating, responsive to your body and don't follow strict eating plans that are not tailored for you. No diet or meal plan from a book or off the internet could possibly “know” your hunger and fullness levels, or what satisfies you. Only you know your eating triggers, your personal likes and dislikes of food, and how foods impact on you physically and emotionally. If you need more structure and support than general principles, then I would encourage you to see a qualified dietitian to have an individual plan tailored for you.

4. Whatever changes you make, make them for life. Don't start doing something you can't continue. Don't get suckered into short term fixes, supplements or snake oil unless you plan to do it forever. Because when you stop these extreme measures, you may be worse off than if you never started. Small, sustainable changes are the key to long term success.

5. Be realistic and focus on the process. Patients who eat a balanced diet and exercise regularly are healthier than those who don't, no matter what their weight is. Obesity is much more complex than just calories in versus calories out - environmental, cultural, genetic and epigenetic, health, socio-economic and lifestyle factors all contribute. So don't focus on the numbers too much. Concentrate on making healthy choices every day. Chances are you will lose weight in a slow and sustainable way and keep it off and get closer to a healthy weight for you. But no matter how much weight you ultimately lose, you will definitely be healthier, and isn't that the ultimate goal?

Lyndal @ Lean Green and Healthy

"Food is fuel" or is it more complex than that?

Privacy healthy eating , motivation

I have seen mottoes written on the internet such as "Eat to live, don't live to eat" and they always make me feel uncomfortable. These one-liners just don't sit right with me. That concept that "food is fuel" and nothing more is I think simplistic and unrealistic and certainly doesn't reflect the way I live. Sure, some people see it that way, but for the vast majority of us, food is more than just fuel.

Food can be a source of nourishment and pleasure, a social activity, a celebration, a tradition, a reinforcement of culture, a religious ceremony, a creative outlet, an expression of love, giving and sharing..... and for some of us also a reward and a punishment. For many people who are overweight or obese, or who have an eating disorder, their relationship with food is one of the fundamental problems hampering their eventual recovery.

I believe it's perfectly fine to enjoy your food, to love your fuel and take pleasure from your nourishment. But make your relationship with food a positive one. If food makes you sad, angry, guilty, stressed, anxious, obsessed, depressed or hateful then this is not good for you, your health or your weight. If you reward yourself with food, or punish yourself with food, perhaps you need to look at alternatives. If your relationship with food is less than positive its time to examine it, and consider doing so with the help of a qualified professional such as a psychologist, a dietitian or a doctor. Like any bad relationship, don't be afraid to seek help and improve it, for your own health and happiness.

Lyndal @ Lean Green and Healthy

To snack or not to snack - that is the question!

Privacy healthy eating , snacks

There seems to lots of conflicting evidence out there on the internet about whether we should snacking between meals or not snacking. Are six small meals better than three big ones? Will it helps me lose weight or not? Well I guess the answer is "it depends". Just like there is no one simple diet rule that suits everyone, there is no one simple answer about snacks that suits everyone. Lets explore it in a bit more detail.

What are the benefits of having snacks?

Research has shown that people who eat small healthy meals regularly have less spikes of blood sugar and therefore less corresponding insulin rise, which leads to less insulin resistance and better control of (or prevention of) diabetes. This is more noticeable if the snacks are a combination of low GI carbohydrate and protein.
People who have healthy snacks regularly have improved blood cholesterol and decreased risk of heart disease as the smaller meals do not stimulate liver production of cholesterol to such an extent as larger meals.
People who eat healthy snacks when they feel hungry, will overall eat almost 30% less at their next main meal. Over time, regularly eating smaller meals trains us to want and be satisfied with smaller meals.

But what are the downsides of eating snacks?

Very few processed and commercially available snacks are healthy. There are a plethora of snack foods on the market that are high calorie junk foods pretending to be healthy. The snack food industry is worth over $60 billion a year. Snacks are an opportunity for people to add unnecessary processed food to their diet without realising it.
The evidence of snacks preventing overeating at the next meal only applies if a person is truly hungry when they have the snack. If they are snacking "because its afternoon tea time" or because they are bored, they will not eat less at the next meal and are simply adding extra calories.
If people are adding snacks that are not hungry for and do not need, they can feel lethargic and sluggish and be less likely to exercise.
The metabolic advantage of eating snacks (lower cholesterol and better blood glucose levels) only applies if the person is not gaining weight from their snacking. Obviously if the snacking makes you fatter, then those benefits are no longer clear.

The bottom line...

Firstly, you should avoid overeating at your main meal times - eating until you are uncomfortably full not only spikes blood sugar but will over time cause you to habitually eat bigger meals and obviously more calories. You should avoid skipping meals - eating large infrequent meals dramatically increases the risk of overweight and obesity and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The cycle of "starving and stuffing" is detrimental to health as it increases the craving for high calorie foods at your next meal and makes good choices more difficult. You should be focusing your efforts on eating three balanced meals a day, and making those meals as nutritious as possible with healthy unprocessed food, lean protein, good fats and lots of low calorie high fibre vegetables to give you energy, slow digestion and fill you up. With this as your basis you probably won't need snacks on a regular basis... but some days you will feel like it, and some people burn faster than others so you might just need a snack!

Am I really hungry?

But if it is a few hours until your next meal and you are feeling hungry, what should you do? Well the obvious thing is to go grab a healthy snack. But first you need to ask yourself some of the principles of mindful eating:

Am I just thirsty? I usually grab a glass of water or make a cup of tea and see if that makes the feeling go away
Am I just bored? going for a walk, or simply getting up to make that cup of tea usually solves that

Tips for healthy snacking

If I'm still hungry after my cup of green tea, then I know I'm genuinely hungry and I should definitely have a snack to keep my blood sugar stable and avoid overeating at the next meal. Here's some points to remember:

Treat your snack as you would a meal - plan it, put it on a plate, remember your portion sizes, balance is key
Balance low GI carbohydrates and fibre with good fats and proteins - eg some fruit with cheese, vegetables with hummus, fruit with unsalted nuts or nut butters. Have ingredients handy so you avoid grabbing a less healthy option. if you are away from home its a good idea to have these on hand just in case - I try to never leave the house without an apple, some almonds and a bottle of water in my purse- my healthy food emergency kit!
Avoid junk food - unless its a special treat, there is no point in eating high calorie low nutrient foods like chips, sweets, biscuits, cake, or "snack bars" - they won't fill you up and you'll be just as hungry when your next meal is due but with a whole lot more calories on board. These are treat foods, have them when you wish to have a special treat and enjoy every mouthful, but they should not be in your everyday diet.
Don't fall victim to the "open bag syndrome" - whether you're eating a healthy snack like nuts or having a treat like chips, portion sizes are important. Whatever you are eating, put it on a plate and get out of the kitchen - picking at an open pack is an easy way to lose track of just how much you have eaten.
If you have snack foods that you can't resist and are your personal dietary "kryptonite" (shortbread anyone?) then it may be easier for you not to keep them in the house at all! If your choices are all healthy unprocessed foods, then of course you will make healthy choices!
Add lots of vegetables to every meal and you will decrease your hunger in between meals.

So I hope that's helpful. You can be a "snacker" or a "non-snacker" and still be healthy and lose weight if you need to, providing you consider these principles. I snack most days, with lots of green tea, fruit vegetables, nuts and occasionally cheese between meals, and it certainly hasn't hampered my weight loss as I take it all into account.

In summary?
Eat when you're hungry, don't skip meals, and stop before you're too full.
Eat healthy foods, mostly plants.
And just eat real food.

Lyndal @ Lean Green and Healthy

Any more tips for healthy snacking? Tell me in the comments below.

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