Check out my article 'nutrition in a nutshell', 17 easy nutritional steps to follow to help achieve the ultimate body & health.
Read More
Check out my article 'nutrition in a nutshell', 17 easy nutritional steps to follow to help achieve the ultimate body & health.
Read More
Sweating up a storm with cardio, lifting heavy in the weights section, 5+ times a week. NEWSFLASH: While this is critical to your ultimate success, it’s not enough for you to lose the fat you want.
To reach your fat loss goal, you must also follow a fat loss meal plan. Why? Even if you workout hard for an hour every day, that still leaves more than 23 hours for you to wreck all your hard work in the gym with just one slip up: a beer or a vino with your friends after work, a cheeky 4pm chocolate bar. Diet is a huge part of the fat-loss equation.
The macro split for fat loss, as with any particular goal, varies greatly and there are many different protocols that people will champion. However there is one dominant theme that runs through most protocols, the reduction of carbohydrates in the diet.
There are two basic reasons for this:
1. Carbohydrates are converted into glucose by the body, spike insulin and are stored as glycogen. The body has a small capacity for storing glycogen so once these stores are full this excess glucose is stored as triglycerides in adipose tissue = increase in body fat.
2. The ingestion of carbohydrates inhibits the oxidation of fats at rest and during exercise.
The macro split used in nutritics for fat loss, is 20% carbs (1g per Kg of body weight (BW)) 40% Protein (2.2g per Kg of BW) 40% Fat (1g per Kg of BW).
This split is therefore low carb but high protein/fat. The high percentage of protein is important as not only do most people lack an adequate intake of protein in the diet but also because it is the nutrient, which helps the body repair, grow and function in many different ways. Although protein is mildly insulinogenic it has a very minimal effect on our insulin levels and therefore does not promote fat storage. Instead when it is ingested it is broken down into amino acids, these amino acids either enter the liver where they are synthesised back into protein or they enter the muscle. If the latter occurs the amino acids are synthesised into protein for use, either for grow or repair. A diet high in protein will promote recovery, maintenance of lean mass, which will in turn sustain or drive up metabolism and muscle growth. All these elements help an individual when training for fat loss.
The split is also high in fat. Although fat has got a lot of negative press in the past we now know that it isn’t a macro to be afraid of and is in fact incredibly important for optimal health and fat loss. Fat is slow digesting with means it keeps you fuller for longer improving satiety levels. This is useful when working towards the goal of fat loss as staying fuller for longer will discourage you from over eating and help you reach the appropriate calorie intake to burn body fat. Fat, like protein, is essential to support different functions in the body, it is vital for synthesising hormones, maintaining cell membrane health and giving the body slow releasing energy.
It is important however that you understand the importance of getting your fats from good sources and not from processed foods. As the body can recognise natural fats and then use them appropriately, processed fats aren’t natural and therefore the body doesn’t respond to them in a natural way, which leads to cholesterol issues, fat storage and many other potential health risks.
Stay on track easily with your macronutrient split using the myfitnesspal app.
Good luck!
(Photo by Anil Iltas)
I'm delighted to share this delicious, warming, Winter broth recipe by Eloise. Eloise is a naturopathic chef who's philosophy 'let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food' is the basis of how she cooks.
Tasty, nourishing and so easy to make this Braised Leek Broth with Celery Leaves, Baby Radishes, Fried Garlic, Carrots, Turmeric, Parsley and Dill will give your immune system the boost it needs to help fight off any sniffle germs that might be lurking around...
(recipe by Eloise at www.eloiseeats.co.uk)
1 Red Onion (sliced)
2 Cloves of Garlic (1 sliced, 1 crushed)
3 tbspns Coconut Oil
2 medium Leeks (cut in to 2inch batons, washed with outer leaves removed)
2 tbspns chopped Leek Tops (chopped from the end of the inside section of leeks above and thinly slice 2 sticks of celery (washed thoroughly, chopped, leaves picked and set aside)
3 radishes (thinly sliced)
2 tbspns Flat Leaf Parsley (roughly chopped)
3 tbspns Organic Vegan Bouillon
2 tbspns Dill
1 tsp Dried Chilli Flakes
1/2 tsp crushed Fenugreek
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder (or x1 3cm stick of peeled fresh turmeric if available)
500ml Water (hot)
Gently heat the oil then add the sliced garlic clove and fry until golden brown on both sides. Set aside. Add the red onion to the pan with the turmeric, chilli flakes and crushed fenugreek seeds. Let the onion and spices sweat down until translucent and soft, then add the chopped garlic, celery, leek batons, carrots chunks, pinch of himalayan salt and a couple of cracks of black pepper. Let the vegetables caramelise, then add the hot water and vegetable bouillon. Leave this all to to simmer over a low heat until the veg is tender to bite into but not completely falling apart. Taste and add a little more salt, pepper, bouillon or water as desired. Once ready add the fresh herbs, sliced radish, celery leaves and chopped raw tender leek tops, then ladle into your bowl adding the crispy garlic slices just before eating. Enjoy!
For events or more delicious recipe ideas contact Eloise: info@eloiseeats.co.uk
Good morning sleepy heads!
Wipe those bleary eyes, drink your espresso and possibly take a look at the nutritional content of your cereal box!
Under the microscope let’s take Special K the cereal notorious for its advert featuring a gorgeous lady in a sexy red swimsuit, who supposedly oozes health & happiness, having consumed her morning bowl of Special K.
Will Special K really leave us feeling happy, healthy & swimsuit ready?
A 30g serving (a large handful to you & me) is 113 calories (not including the milk). In goes 150ml of skimmed milk, now we total 190 calories.
If you consumed 30g everyday whilst restricting your calorie intake at lunch and dinner, you would look good in that red swimsuit!
The nutritional content (or lack of) would suggest however that you’d unlikely reach your daily nutritional recommendations for a healthy & happy life! Let’s delve deeper….
Special K has 5.1g of sugar per serving (4.2g = a teaspoon). Would you wake up and put over a teaspoon of pure sugar in your mouth? After one serving, you have reached 17% of your daily-recommended sugar intake. If you have more, do the maths; this is an alarming amount of sugar before 9am.
The high sugar levels in Special K indicate that it has a high glycaemic index, meaning that when these carbohydrates are consumed, they will quickly increase your blood sugar (glucose) levels. Cells can’t absorb large quantities of glucose quickly, so it’s deposited in carbohydrate reserves (as glycogen) or in lipids (aka FAT).
That post breakfast ‘sugar crash’ (feeling tired & hungry), is due to the excess insulin that is produced, to bring a sharp decline in blood sugar levels (which need to be constant to meet the energy requirements of the body, especially the brain). This sudden decline acts as a stress signal on the hypothalamus (as it requires sugar to operate), to combat this it creates a neurological reaction that stimulates hunger, so you’re going to want to eat again soon!
Protein is essential for the body to grow and repair itself; it’s recommended we have 1g of protein per 2.2kg of body weight. Special K has 2.7g of protein per serving (in comparison a medium egg which has 13g). However add in your skimmed milk (+5.11g) and the protein levels are ok. Protein in the morning will help keep hunger at bay for longer.
Fat is an essential nutrient; a source of energy, an energy store, a transport for fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E & K, it helps maintain healthy skin & other tissues. Special K Is low in fat, only 0.5g per serving, thus offering little assistance to the above functions of fat!
It has only 1.4g of fibre, which is crucial for a healthy gut and disease prevention. It’s recommended woman consume 25g of fibre per day and men 38g. As one of your 3 meals per day it is doing little to contribute to your daily fibre goal.
The main problem I have with Special K is it lacks the necessary nutrients and phytochemicals to start the day off right. If you usually choose a cereal such as Special K for breakfast, you might want to think again. Choose something with lower sugar, more protein, fibre and healthy fat.
Have a great day X
The ‘sweet crystalline substance’, that is sugar, is fuelling a global health epidemic. Alarmingly, consumption levels continue to rise, metabolic disease levels rocket and life expectancy is being shortened. I urge you now, reduce your sugar intake!
The problem: Why is it deadly?
To understand why common sugar (sucrose) is harmful we must look to its molecular structure. It is made up of two molecules:
1. Glucose (dextrose) - this is in every living cell, if we don’t get it from our macros, our body will produce it
2. Fructose – we have little physiological need for
In the gut these molecules separate, the glucose circulates throughout our body feeding our muscles and our brain, whereas, the fructose goes straight to our liver. Only the liver can metabolize fructose. Eating this in small amounts such as by consuming fruit is fine as it is converted into glycogen and stored in the liver until it is required. However, if the liver is bombarded with lots of fructose it converts it into fat.
Repeatedly hammering the liver with sugar can lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and all sorts of down stream metabolic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, osteoarthritis, cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s.
Everybody knows someone whose life has been affected by one of the above diseases, could sugar have been the trigger? Don’t chance your health by indulging in too much sugar. Take charge, take control and conquer this addictive white and deadly substance today.
Top tips for reducing your sugar intake?
Good news, there are 6 simple things you can do to reduce and reverse sugar damage.
1. Avoid sugary drinks, opt for water, spice it up with a bit of lemon / mint / lime.
2. Read Food labels carefully, too often we are unaware an item may be packed with sugar – knowledge is power. Be aware that 4g of sugar = 1 teaspoon, and there are at least 56 different names for sugars and sweeteners, yet chemically they are all very similar. Look out for them:
3. Avoid processed low fat foods; the missing fat is usually replaced by salt and sugar.
4. Cut down fructose; restrict foods containing more than half their sugar as fructose such as figs, pears, mango, grapes, cherries, dried fruits and many fruit juices
5. Eat more fibre (25-50g / day), it is high in antioxidants, vitamins and keep you feeling full for longer.
6. Exercise a little! – it releases endorphins and helps take your mind off that sweet treat!
The food we eat can be the safest most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison. The choice is yours!