Diets & Weight Loss

Weight loss advice can be confusing. There’s plenty of dialogue but it often seems conflicting which can leave you unsure of the right approach. In this article I clear up some of the misinformation on how to lose weight. Here are eight outdated weight loss tips you can officially forget!

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The role of hormones

Hormones are chemical messengers that carry signals from one part of the body to another. Some well-known ones are insulin, melatonin, cortisol, adrenaline and testosterone, though there are over 200 altogether. They are made, stored and released by our endocrine system and it’s their job to regulate the activity of cells or organs throughout our body.

Hormones control a variety of functions including mood, growth, appetite and weight (metabolism) and sexual development and function. Whilst we will all experience periods of natural hormonal fluctuations in our life, hormonal imbalance can also occur when the endocrine glands are not working properly. Correcting this is important as hormonal imbalances can lead to a range of serious health issues such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease to name a few. If you're specifically after info on hormonal changes and/or weight gain relating to peri menopause or menopause, you'll find some useful advice here, The wonderful world of menopause.

In this article I’ll cover tips on how to balance your hormones but firstly, let’s explore some of the early signs that your hormones may be out of whack.

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It’s a common question and one we get asked a lot. So we’ve put together this helpful guide to assist you in choosing the right daily calorie level to maintain weight, lose weight or even gain weight! And to make sure we got it right, we ran it all past Personal Trainer and Fitness Expert, Coach Joseph Hall, whose job it is to help people achieve the body weight and body shape they want.

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We’re all busy and sometimes don’t have time to fully prep and cook all our own meals. And even if we do, we can run out of ideas for how to make them both appealing and healthy too. But if you’re after a short-cut to achieving a higher nutrient hit for the meals you do eat (whether bought or home-made), I’ve got a secret to share with you. Toppers.

If you haven’t yet embraced soup and salad toppings as a way of adding extra nutrients to improve health, this article will help. If you have, then I’m here to give you some extra inspiration.

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Here’s a statement I’ve heard a number of times – ‘meal prepping’s not for me’. If you’re a person with loads of time on your hands, then I’d probably agree. You may not need to meal prep. But most of us don’t have that luxury. Instead we’re juggling jobs, home, learning, partners, parents, kids, recreation and an overflowing email inbox! Unless you’re super woman, being busy and eating well don’t usually go hand in hand. So that’s where meal planning and prepping comes to the rescue.

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Are you thrilled to be on a diet? Probably not. Most people don’t go on a diet because it’s a fun or inspiring thing to do. In fact, dieting is akin to torture for many people.

I’m definitely the kind of nutritionist that advocates eating well everyday as a lifestyle, rather than dieting. However, if you’re feeling sluggish, are carrying excess kilos and have a certain goal weight in mind, then you may well need a clear, targeted approach. Plus you’ll need some motivation to stay on track.

So let’s address the key problems with conventional dieting and discuss helpful tips to beating food boredom while getting your weight down to a healthier level.

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10 common weight loss mistakes and how to fix them

Are you trying to lose weight but feel like you’re getting nowhere? Don’t be disheartened, we might be able to help. We’ve compiled a list of the top 10 most common reasons why you might be at a weight loss plateau or aren’t losing as much as you’d like, despite the effort you’re putting in. Thankfully, alongside each problem we’ve provided the solution, so you can get yourself back on track to being the healthy, happy person you want to be.

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Sweating is the body’s built-in air conditioning system. When our internal temperature rises, our sweat glands release water to the surface of our skin. As the perspiration evaporates, it cools the skin and blood underneath. Sweat arises from one of three instances - when we exercise, when we have a fever, or when we are anxious and stressed.

We all have around 4 million sweat glands that excrete a mixture of water, salt, amino acids and other substances. The exact composition of sweat varies from person to person based on hormone balance, physiological changes, and any bacteria and viruses in the body.

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Is the Intermittent Fasting Diet Worth Trying?

Dr Joanna McMillan

The practice of fasting for health or spiritual reasons is as old as the hills. Pretty much every religion and many Eastern philosophies, have forms of fasting. Typically fasting is promoted as a means of discipline, reducing gluttony and for focusing the mind.

More recently fasting has been promoted as a means to weight loss. The intermittent fasting diet typically involves eating regular, healthy food 5 days a week and fasting on two non-consecutive days. The fasting days can simply involve skipping breakfast that day and eating a regular lunch and dinner.

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Fibre is now recognised as being vitally important to our gut health and our overall health.  But did you know that it can help you to lose weight and keep it off too?  Studies show that a higher fibre intake is associated with lower body fat (including belly fat), body weight and BMI.

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