Diets & Weight Loss

Interestingly, the two biggest barriers for women not maintaining a healthy lifestyle are a lack of time, and lack of priority.  This week, why not start to make some positive changes that can last a lifetime.

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In Australia, 47% of women and 34% of men use at least one dietary supplement.  Usage is even greater among older age groups and those with higher education levels.

By dietary supplement we mean a single vitamin or mineral, a combination multi-vitamin, herbal or traditional products, or a sports nutrition or weight loss product.

Most users take supplements by personal choice, rarely by doctor’s recommendation.  This is great news for supplement manufacturers!  Globally, the industry raked in over $150 billion last year alone and it’s growing.

But the big question is - will they help us live longer or healthier lives?

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We’ve all heard that wine is good for us but how good exactly? And how much is enough? And what type is best? 

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Uh oh, have you been swapping barbells for bars recently and indulging in a few too many schooners?  This certainly isn’t going to help your health kick, but is there a way to mitigate the damage?

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Before you can answer that question, let us explain what a reducetarian is.  Firstly, if you’re thinking to yourself not another diet to get my head around, then think again.  This is not a diet, more a philosophy about food, sustainability and positive change.

The term reducetarian was coined several years ago and describes a growing movement of individuals who actively reduce the amount of meat and animal products in their diets.  The concept appeals to many people, as it’s inclusive and attainable.  It’s not just for vegans and vegetarians.  It’s also for those who may not want to completely eliminate meat and animal products but still want to make a change.

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Did you look in the mirror this morning and a dad bod looked back? Perhaps you’re wondering how this crept up on you… perhaps you’re not even a dad!

As for how it happened, it may have involved;

• Friday night beers with mates turned into Monday through Sunday beers;
• A few too many burgers with chips, kebabs or pizza;
• Breaking off a Kit Kat (or three) for afternoon tea;
• Skipping the gym again in favour of working late or sleeping off that hangover from above-mentioned beers;

Or simply too busy, can’t be bothered to shop or cook, or can't cook!

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Recommended Pre-Reading:

Supermarket Swindles: How to read food labels & make healthier choices

Marketers do a great job making products more appealing to consumers, especially on the shelves of your local supermarket.  Thankfully it’s my job as a nutritionist to help you cut through the hype and sort fact from fiction.

These days, choosing healthy options is a minefield of competing product claims, making it virtually impossible for anyone without a Food Science degree to make sense of it all.  But not anymore.

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If you’re trying to stick to a diet or healthy eating plan, you need to know what you’re actually eating and sometimes the supermarket labels can be deceiving.  You need to be able to navigate the sometimes wildly exaggerated health claims of product labels to know if a product is truly healthy or is it just a marketing hype. So if you’re searching ‘how to read food labels’, now is the perfect time to learn your way around a food label and it’s easy with our guidance.

Lucky for us, food labelling in Australia is governed by Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) which means we have a consistent set of information that must be contained on every label.  So really, those healthy choices are right in front of you, you just need to be able to make sense of it all.  And that’s where we come in.

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For most keto dieters, eggs are the go-to breakfast staple – scrambled, fried, poached, boiled or as an omelette – anyhow you like them is fine.  You can also freely eat your fill of bacon, avocado, cold cuts, olives, nuts, smoked salmon and cheese as well as adding any healthy fats such as olive oil, coconut oil, butter, mayonnaise and coconut cream.  Keto friendly vegetables include leafy greens, zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus and eggplant to name a few.

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Understanding the Keto Diet

The ketogenic diet is a high fat, moderate protein, low carbohydrate diet that forces the body to burn fats rather than carbohydrates.

Because of the low carb intake, your body goes into a metabolic state called ketosis. This is where the body produces small fuel molecules called ‘ketones’ from burning fat for energy (instead of glucose which is derived from carbohydrates). When the body is in ketosis, the fat for energy is drawn from either the dietary intake or fat stores in the body, which is one of the reasons this diet is linked to weight loss.

A typical Western diet contains approximately 250g of carbs per day, whereas ketogenic diets limit carbohydrate to just a fraction of this amount. Suffice to say, adopting a keto regime can be quite a radical change from many people’s normal eating habits!

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