Tuesday 29 October 2013

The Skinny on Fats

Let's get back to basics: Fat is necessary for growth, development, brain and heart function, satiety, reducing inflammation and actually helps burn body fat. Consuming dietary fat is important for absorption of nutrients, energy and cell membrane health. But not all fats are created equal!
 
The fats you want to reduce are saturated fats and trans fatty acids for alleviating many health concerns and you can do this by limiting poor quality fats as much as possible in your diet.

Saturated Fats are found in
  • palm oil
  • cheese
  • processed meats
  • chocolate
  • coconut
  • red meat
  • nuts and seeds
Trans Fats are found in
  • packaged foods
  • margarine
  • fast food
  • packaged soups 
  • frozen foods
There are exceptions to this rule. Nutrient rich saturated fat foods such as Coconut, red meat, nuts and seeds are an ESSENTIAL part of our diet – but roughly 30% of total food intake. Remember to always avoid trans fats.
 
When you are wanting to burn body fat and lose weight you want to focus on the unsaturated fats such as monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA’s) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA’s). 

MUFA’s are found in 
  • olives
  • olive oil
  • avocado
  • nuts and seeds

PUFA’s (which include your omega 3 fatty acids) are found in 
  • fish
  • fish oils
  • nuts
  • seeds 
  • algae  


For more information about the type of fat that should be in your diet to achieve your goals simply email naednutrition@gmail.com for more information 

Tuesday 22 October 2013

Top 10 Tips for Food Prep




Ever wondered why some people are achieving results and some aren’t? A lot of the time is because one person is prepared & the other isn’t.  Can you guess which one is getting the better results? Here is My Top 10 tips for Food Prep

  1. Plan you meals AND include the weekend: Write it down from Monday to Sunday, breakfast through to Supper, every meal & you want to eat. A common mistake people make is forgetting to plan their food for the weekend as well as during the week
  2. Plan your snacks: Most people will plan their main meals, but what about your snacks? Don’t forget to get some variety to keep it exciting for both during the week and the weekend
  3. Create your shopping list: from each day’s meals & each day snacks create you shopping list. Remember NEVER go to the shops when you are hungry…you will end up with many items you didn’t plan to purchase
  4. Shop smart: Purchase you fresh produce from the markets; you will get better quality for half the price!

  5. Don’t have the time? Make time! You don’t have to food shop & food prep on the same day – spread it out! Food shop Saturday (allow 1 hour) and food prep Sunday (allow 2 hours – depending on how many you are cooking for!)
  6. Multi-task: Don’t do one recipe at a time, wash the dishes and start all over again, you will be there all day. Spend 5 minutes planning which items you are going to make first and have multiple recipes going. I.e Grill your chicken, steam your veg, boil your quinoa & at the same time bake your high protein muffins whilst you roll out some protein bites
  7. Don’t leave it to the last minute: If you think you are going to come on a Sunday night at 9pm after being out all day & do a weeks’ worth of food prep, dream on. If you have a busy Sunday afternoon, what’s stopping you prepping you food on a Saturday afternoon, or Sunday morning, where it fits get it done
  8. Prep what you like: If you don’t like cooking & freezing meals you don’t have to, your prep can be portioning out your meats & protein, cutting & washing & separating all your veggies for the week. You will be amazed at how much time you will save during the week
  9. Portion control: Just because you have cooked up 1kg of chicken that is to die for doesn’t mean you eat it all in a day: portion out the correct portion and spread it out to get the best variety
  10.  VARIETY VARIETY VARIETY: If you eat the same thing, every day, you will get the same results. Your body craves variety & responds to it so make sure you have a good mix of lean proteins, fresh produce and quality starches.


Need help with your food prep? Simply contact Sinead at naednutrition@gmail.com to find out how a personalised meal plan can help you with your food prep

Wednesday 16 October 2013

Norbu Sweetener - Product Review


The latest sugar alternative product to hit the market is Norbu, is it good, bad and do you believe all the hype? Here is a critical review of the Norbu the natural sweetener



What is Norbu?

  • Norbu is a granulated natural sugar that is made from monk fruit (or luo han guo) – used for centuries in Asia

  • Sugar alternative



How is it different to sugar?

  • 200 x sweeter

  • 0.5 calories per tsp compared to 387 calories per tsp

  • Almost no glycaemic impact



How is it different to stevia and other natural sweeteners?

  • Not as bitter



Is it safe?

  • It is certified by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) for use in both food and beverages.

  • It is also fructose free



Why is it mixed with Erythritol?

  • Just like stevia is it mixed with Erythritol so it may be used by the spoonful



Can I use it the same way I do sugar and/or other sugar substitutes?

  • YES! Use 2/3rds Norbu instead of the amount of sugar you would of used in a recipe, tea, coffee, smoothies etc. (you may find you need even less)



Is it safe for diabetics?

  • YES! It is natural & NOT artificial as well as being low G.I





What are its Stats?

Serving Size: 100 g,




Per Serve






Do I believe the hype?



Do you suffer with bad sugar cravings your can't seem to kick? Simply email naednutrition@gmail.com to find out how you can kick your cravings to the curb

Tuesday 1 October 2013

Carbs - The Do's & Dont's

Carbohydrate are the most important energy source for many vital organs including the brain, central nervous system and kidneys.

It is also important macronutrient in out diet for fat burning. Yes, that’s right, carbohydrates are important for burning fat! However.... too many carbohydrates, and the wrong type of carbohydrates will reduce the likely hood of burning fat and will promote fat storage. 

The right carbohydrates include
Resistant starch containing:
  • wholegrains
  • rice
  • legumes
  • beans 
  • potato
Fibre containing
  • fruit
  • vegetables
  • wholegrains
  • seeds
The wrong carbohydrates include 
  • lollies
  • fizzy drinks
  • white bread, white rice, white pasta
  • pastries 
  • and more.  



The right carbohydrates promote satiety, increase metabolism, reduce stress, reduce cholesterol, promote and replace energy, control blood sugar levels, promote good digestion and brain function. 

How do I make the change from a poor carbohydrate choice to the best choice?

Poor Carbohydrate Choice
Better Carbohydrate Choice
Best Carbohydrate Choice
Cheese Burger
Steak/chicken burger + salad (lettuce, beetroot, tomato, cucumber, carrot)
Homemade lentil burger on wholemeal roll + salad
Coco Pops + milk
Toasted muesli + milk (A2)
Bircher Muesli + pot set yoghurt
Potato Chips/crisps
Corn chips + salsa dip
Hommus + vegie sticks (carrot, celery, capsicum, cucumber)
Soft drink
½ fruit juice + ½ soda/mineral water
Freshly squeezed lemon juice in water


How do I know what carbohydrates I need to achieve my goals?

Each person is different & requires a different amount of carbohydrates throughout the day to achieve their goals. Those doing more cardiovascular activity or wanting to put on mass will require more than those who are more sedentary or wanting to lose mass.

Contact us at admin@naednutrition.com.au to find out how to get the right about of carbohydrates in your day with a personalised meal plan