Metabolism and Nutrition – Part 2

metabolism

In last week’s blog we looked at the science behind metabolism. This week we’ll look at how we can boost our metabolism in our daily diet.Metabolism Boosting Ideas for our Daily DietThe following are some ideas of how you can incorporate the sirtuin activating foods and niacin rich foods into your daily diet: • Use olive oil in salad dressings. • Have a jar of olives handy to snack on and add olives to salads or cooked dishes. Tapenade makes a good topping for oat cakes or rye bread. • Swap…

Metabolism and Nutrition

Nutrition and MetabolismWhat do you think of when you hear the word “metabolism”?Weight loss, energy, getting older? The term is used in many contexts…but what does it really mean? One authoritative definition of metabolism is the following:“The whole range of biochemical processes that occur within a living organism. Metabolism consists of anabolism (the build-up of substances) and catabolism (the break-down of substances). The term metabolism is commonly used to refer specifically to the break-down of food and its transformation into energy.”So what does that mean? It means metabolism is the body’s process…

Stress and its Effects on the Thyroid

stress and thyroid

Are you under stress and feel as though your metabolism is slowing down?Your thyroid may be affected as a response to chronic stress. When we are under prolonged levels of stress we will begin to experience multiple system issues, one of these is a change in our metabolism and consequent weight gain particularly around our midsection. We may also begin to feel puffy and fatigued. Due to the complexity of the thyroid I have only looked at a snap shot on what may be happening to your thyroid as a result…

Nutrition for Injury Recovery

Nutrition for injury

Food and supplements to speed up healing.Are you injured and need to heal quickly? Aid the healing process with these powerful tips on nutrition for injury recovery. Put the right eating and supplement strategies to work for you.  Injuries happen. The question is- after they happen, how can you help the body heal?For most athletes and the everyday person the idea that nutrition can play a powerful role in injury recovery makes perfect sense. Yet when injury strikes, very few of us know exactly how to use nutrition to improve healing.Here…

4 Impressive Reasons To Eat More Plant-Based Foods!

plant-based foods

During flu and cold season, building your immunity is very important. One way you can do this is by eating more whole, plant-based foods. Here are athlete and author Brendan Brazier’s 4 reasons why you should start incorporating more nutrient-dense foods into your diet. 1. Plant-Based Foods Provide Energy Before the body can turn cooked food into usable fuel, it must produce enzymes to aid in the digestion process. A healthy person can create these enzymes, but it costs energy, which creates a nominal amount of stress. As we get…

The Importance of Accountability & Support for Weight Loss Goals

accountability

How to Be Accountable to Your Weight Loss Goals When trying to achieve weight loss goals by dieting and exercising, willpower alone is not always enough to stay on track. To be able to lose weight and keep it off for good, accountability and support are the key. However, we all know that maintaining accountability and finding support is easier said than done. The following are some ways to help keep you accountable and supported through your weight loss journey.   Create your weight loss plan Write down your weight loss plan on paper…

The Weekend Binge

overeating

Are you a victim of weekend overeating? The following 5 strategies can help you ditch the binge, guilt and extra weight. So often I hear the story from clients and friends that weekday food choices are healthy and very controlled…..then Friday comes along – the weekend becomes a blur of poor food choices and alcohol binges. We live hectic lives, juggle family, stressful jobs, finances, exercise, kid’s sports, homework, study, the list is endless! So it is not surprising that we get to the weekend and turn to fast food…

Fluid and Electrolytes for Endurance – Kokoda Challenge

fluid and electrolytes

Are you aware of your fluid and electrolytes? By drinking regularly during exercise, athletes can prevent declines in concentration and skill level, improve perceived exertion, prevent excessive elevations in heart rate and body temperature and improve performance – good justification for every athlete and coach to make fluid replacement a key priority during training and competition. It is very difficult to replace all fluid lost whilst exercising, due to the volume of sweat, as well as time cost of consuming fluid.  Athletes need to regularly plan and practice fluid intake…

Healthy gut – the key to a healthy life?

Healthy gut

In a healthy digestive system there is a good balance between beneficial bacteria and harmful bacteria. In fact there are more than 100 trillion bacteria living in your gut. In most people who are well and eat a varied and healthy diet the body takes care of itself and keeps the beneficial bacteria and harmful bacteria in balance. The benefits of good bacteria in our digestive system: Assist with digestion and nutrient absorption Reduce chance of infections from pathogens Boost our immune system Reduce the symptoms of IBS Help keep…

Fuelling for Endurance- Kokoda Challenge

Fuelling Endurance

 by Delina Rahmate BHSc Nutritional Medicine www.delina.com.auIn recent years there have been several changes in the way that we see carbohydrates in everyday use and in our training diet which for most people is very confusing. Should we avoid carbohydrates, what type should we have and are they as fattening as what we are hearing? What should we be eating when we are fuelling for endurance in the Kokoda Challenge?As athletes, beginners to advanced,  our carbohydrate needs are not static, in fact they change on a daily basis according to…