Healthy eating when you’re travelling can be as simple as 1, 2, 3.

1. Check Your Tools and Resources

If you’re based somewhere for a few days or even a week then check your room to see what you have available before you shop. Hotel rooms often have coffee cups can be used as bowls, but the range of crockery and cutlery will be limited unless you’re in a serviced apartment. Regardless you can still get by without the need to buy plastic plates, forks and knives if you buy wisely.

2. Plan, Shop and Eat Right

Scout out a decent supermarket nearby. Remember to plan ahead by writing a list of your meals to ensure you buy the right types of foods, not only from a nutritionally balanced perspective, but also in terms of portability and usability. This will also help avoid impulse purchases which shed dollars from your pocket but generally add girth to your bum.

Breakfast:

From the supermarket pick up some bananas and some raw nuts. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day so stat it right with a banana, 6 raw almonds and 2 raw brazil nuts. Alternatively if you’re on the go an all-natural gluten free muesli bar can work well.

Mid-Morning Meal:

When I eat breakfast I also make my mid-morning meal so I also buy a bad or raw rolled oats, some small tubs of yoghurt and a punnet or two of seasonal berries. Mixing a tub of low fat low (or no) sugar yoghurt with about 40g of raw rolled oats in coffee mug and pop it into the bar fridge makes a great meal. Three hours later it will be soft and delicious with some mixed berries. If you’re on the go or don’t have a bar fridge then consider the portable banana and nuts option.

Lunch:

Lunch needs to be a more substantial affair so I generally buy a pre-packaged garden salad (one that comes with a fork). They’re usually pretty sparse when it comes to ingredients so you might also want to pick up a tub of cherry tomatoes to add to it. You’ll also need some protein so get a little of your favourite meat (about 60g to 80g worth) to add to it. Hot smoked salmon, gravlax or smoked salmon are great options as are packaged sliced meats, although watch their salt and fat content. A small can of tuna also works well. And if the salad dressing is not low fat (or looks calorie laden) then you can grab either a bottle or sachet of more appropriate dressing, or a lemon to squeeze over it (if you can access a knife to cut it).

If you need to buy your lunch then get a smaller serve of a healthy soup or salad, hold any bread and put the dressing on the side. Ordering a side of steamed vegetables ‘au naturale’ can also help to top up vitamins, minerals and fibre, if you’re still hungry.

Mid-Afternoon Meal:

Your afternoon snack should contain some natural sugars to give you an energy book, but not be carbohydrate heavy (so no wheat products or mass produced muesli bars). I tend to stick to fruit in the afternoon as it picks me up – apples are good. If you’re fructose intolerant then steamed or raw vegies are good option but not always available. You could always employ a protein bar or drink – not my favourite option but good if you’re on the go. Look for ones with no sugar, low carb and high protein. I think Mushashi make the best products in this area, just watch the portion size and pick their smaller products if you do.

Dinner:

By dinner your system is sure to feel good, healthy and cleansed so don’t stuff it up by making the wrong dinner choice. Room service can be a hit and miss affair, but selecting a healthy-looking entrée and a side of steamed vegetables is a good in room choice (and you can probably manage to hang onto the cutlery for the duration of your stay). But it’s not always the cheapest so the same rules apply when eating out on the town. Go for meals that avoid rice, breads and wheat products (so no pastas or noodles). Curries are often filled with cream, oil and other hidden nasties so avoid them. So too many Asian foods can be smothered in sauces and have high levels of salt and MSG. Better to opt for a small steak, grilled chicken or fish with vegetables or a salad. Skip the free bread and try to avoid dessert as it will undo all your hard work.

Sweet cravings at the end of a meal occur most often because it’s become habit. Breaking it will take some time and patience, and you’ll find they become less and less if you cease giving into them. And If you can’t resist the need for something sweet after dinner then keep a piece of delicious ripe fruit at the ready, or grab a cup of team or skinny latte with sugar substitute or Stevia.

Most importantly when travelling it’s really easy to become dehydrated, so you need to ensure you drink lots of pure water. Stock up bottled water and avoid flavoured drinks, too much caffeine and alcohol.

3. Stick to Your Guns

It’s easy to be distracted from your eating plan by colleagues or friends with cries of “Let’s do lunch or dinner whilst you’re in town”. And if you’re travelling for leisure you’re sure to want to try some of the local cuisine. You can do all of this within your plan but there are a few tricks to getting it right so you don’t blow your day.

• Restrict your dining out to one meal a day – lunch OR dinner, not both
• Try to go to a restaurant that has healthy choices on the menu
• Skip the buffet – you will eat more than you plan to
• Make sure you make the right choices when ordering
• Say ‘No’ to the free bread
• Focus on savory dishes and skip dessert
• Keep it to one glass of anything non-water like alcohol or coffee
• Don’t get talked into upsizing or ordering extra courses
• Finish the evening with a brisk walk to aid the digestion

These days there seems to be some pressure to follow a more natural food route, and so there’s been a bit of resurgence in the use of honey, mostly because people think it’s natural and therefore better than sugar. But does ‘all natural’ really mean it is healthier?

The Sweet Facts

It’s true that honey is less refined than sugar, principally raw honey. And it’s true that honey is well known for its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Further and local honey containing local pollen can help reduce the symptoms of hay fever. Honey also contains vitamins B1, B2, C, B6, B5 and B3, and minerals such as magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium chlorine, sulphur, iron and phosphate. Sugar has none of these benefits.

But honey is primarily a sugar, it’s sweeter than sugar, and actually contains more calories: 22 calories in a teaspoon compared with 16. So what about the variance in composition and the effect on the body?

This is where it gets a little complicated. Granulated sugar is 100% sucrose – sucrose is a disaccharide carbohydrate made up of 50% glucose and 50% fructose. Honey is a carbohydrate composed mostly glucose and fructose (separately, not as a disaccharide) so it has is processed slightly differently in the body. The percentage of glucose to fructose in honey varies, but the more crystallised the higher the proportion of glucose.

A study by the University of California Davis reported in the Journal of Clinical Investigation found that glucose was preferential to fructose, and that consuming too much fructose can actually put you at greater risk of developing heart disease and diabetes than ingesting similar amounts of glucose.

Confused about what all this means? Well, I don’t blame you. And now enter into this confusing equation all the hype about New Zealand’s Manuka honey.

Why Manuka?

A 2009 survey of people who bought Manuka Honey showed that 58 per cent of them believed it to be better than ordinary honey, but they didn’t know why. In addition, 70 per cent of them didn’t know what the UMF (Unique Manuka Factor) number on the front of the jars meant.

Honey contains an ‘active agent’ thought to support good health. Unfortunately it’s easily destroyed when exposed to heat and light meaning processed honey that’s been heat treated loses most of its benefit.

In contrast Manuka honey contains an extra ‘active’ ingredient known as UMF which is stable and doesn’t lose its potency when exposed to heat, light or dilution. The higher the UMF the more potent (and more effective) its antiviral and antibacterial actions are. However little of this has actually been proved, and its benefits seem to be more effective when used topically rather than ingested.

So what does all this really mean?

Good or Bad?

OK, so honey may be less refined and more natural than white sugar, but it’s still high in calories, it will still raise your blood sugar and contribute to weight gain in an unbalanced diet. And these days with all the societal pressure to maintain a leaner body size there are better options for sweetening like the zero calorie Stevia and lower calorie Xylitol.

The bottom line … all sweeteners, including honey are best avoided. Honey is and should only ever be an occasional treat. And when I do treat myself what’s my honey of choice? Definitely Manuka, but not for its health properties. It simply tastes better.

Why Nuts?

Nearly all nuts, raw or roasted, are high in monounsaturated fats that actually keep us heart-healthy and disease-free. Nuts are a great source of protein and fibre, and many contain vitamins and minerals including copper, magnesium, manganese, Vitamin B1 and Vitamin B6.

Scientific studies have also showed that eating a range of different types of nuts and seeds can actually prevent heart disease, the accumulation of LDL cholesterol as well as weight gain – mostly due to their insoluble fibre that helps to keep you fuller longer as well as their satiating fat and protein.

Raw Versus Roasted

Since the 1990’s there’s been a lot of research into the dangerous chemical triggered by amino acids through roasting raw nuts. Acrylamide is the potentially threatening bi-product of the amino acid asparagine, which occurs in roasted nuts such as almonds and hazelnuts.

At first roasted nuts may seem to taste because oily fats get released through the heating process. And whilst it’s true that some nuts are less affected by roasting, it is preferable that all nuts be organic, eaten in their raw state, and not irradiated or roasted.

Health Benefits of Nuts

It’s been clinically shown that eating nuts will generally lead to:

• A decrease in body mass index and waist circumference
• A lowering in systolic blood pressure
• A lowering in weight generally
• A lowering of LDL (bad) cholesterol

Do Nuts Make You Fat?

Any food in excess will stack on the kilos. And eating too much of a good thing will not give you more benefit, it will actually give you less including weight gain. But a small handful of healthy raw is actually a better snack choice than a snack high in complex carbohydrates. In fact there’s even a study that showed adding almonds to a low calorie diet lead to:

• 62% showing a greater reduction in their weight/BMI
• 50% showing a greater reduction in waist circumference
• 56% showing a greater reduction in body fat

The Top Five

Almonds are the king of nuts in my book. They are high in antioxidants including vitamin E and selenium and help lower ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol. They are a good source of insoluble fibre and may play an important role in preventing colon cancer. Almond milk is often used as a milk substitute as it contains significant amounts of calcium. And just ten raw almonds a day will give you around 20% of your daily magnesium.

Brazil nuts have fast become my favourite nut. I call them the ‘Happiness Nut’ because just one Brazil a day will give you your daily dose of selenium which helps thyroid metabolism and boosts your mood. Selenium also functions as an antioxidant and in redox reactions. Brazils also contain copper, niacin, vitamin E, magnesium and insoluble fibre and studies show that this protein-packed nut may also aid in the prevention of breast cancer.

Walnuts are considered one of the most beneficial nuts on the planet. This is because they’re packed full of an antioxidant known as ellagic acid, as well as 16 disease-fighting polyphenols. It’s not surprising then that studies show that consumption of walnuts is related to better heart-health and cognitive function, as well as the reduction of skin and bone conditions.

Pecans are the new kid on the block, relatively speaking with recent clinical studies showing that this nut significantly lowers cholesterol (without the pie though). Pecans are a great source of twenty essential vitamins and minerals including Vitamins B2, B3, B6, C, E and K, Thiamin, Folate and Pantothenic Acid. And they’re also a high-quality source of protein, fiber and heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats making them a well-rounded nice guy.

Hazelnuts contain vitamins B1, B2 and B6 and are one of the best sources of Vitamin E. They also contain calcium, iron, zinc, potassium, magnesium, protein, dietary fibre and arginine which is an amino acid which helps to relax blood vessels. Their folate helps reduces the risk of cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and depression. But don’t get your source from Nutella, which contains only 13% hazelnuts which have been highly manufactured (not to mention all the other additives). Try to buy hazelnuts raw in the shell as they do tend to go rancid quickly when packaged.

A Final Word on Nuts

With healthy fats, fibre, plant sterols and an abundance of vitamins and minerals, nuts really do pack a powerful nutritional punch in a tiny bite-sized package. But remember to keep your consumption in moderation.

The best once a day nut snack selection is:

• 10 raw almonds (with skin)
• 2 raw Brazil nuts
• 5 raw Pecan Halves
• 4 raw Walnut halves
• 5 raw hazelnuts

This will yield:

• 229 Calories
• 5.4g Protein
• 4.0g Carbohydrates (of which 1.4g is Sugar)
• 23.1g Fats (of which only 2.3g is saturated)
• 3.3g Fibre
• 0g Cholesterol
• 0.9mg Sodium
• 55.7mg Calcium

There are lots of sensationalist headlines floating around at the moment about corn being bad for you. Let’s clear this up once and for all.

Fresh corn is a low-fat complex carbohydrate, which is high in insoluble fibre which not only help fill you up, but which aids constipation and haemorrhoids by absorbing water, which swells the stool and speeds its movement. Corn is also a good source of Vitamin C, Thiamine, Folic Acid, Pantothenic Acid and well as containing B6, Niacin and Riboflavin. So, in moderation, fresh corn has a healthy place in any diet – and it tastes great too.

Many of the articles about corn being bad for you relate to the genetic modification of corn – selective engineering of certain corn varieties by the big producers (like Monsanto) designed to grow quicker and resist pests. And it’s true we just don’t quite know what GM foods are going to do to us long term. It’s always best for nature to take its course and for us not to dabble too much.

But the issue with corn is when it’s processed and separated into its four basic components: starch, germ, fibre, and protein to make a whole host of ‘value added’ products: corn oil, feed products, starches, sweeteners and bio products.

So What Food Products Can Contain Corn?

It’s a very long list:

• Baking Powder
• Brown Sugar – look for use of Caramel color.
• Caramel – coloring used in soft drinks, derived from corn “or cane sugar.”
• Corn Meal
• Corn Starch
• Corn Syrup
• Golden Syrup
• Malt
• Vinegar, Distilled White

There’s also a long list of food additives that are made from corn:

• Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C)
• Dextrin
• Ethanol
• Ferrous Gluconate
• Magnesium Stearate
• Malic Acid
• Malt Flavoring
• MaltitolMaltodextrin
• Maltose
• Mannitol
• Modified Food Starch
• Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
• Polydextrose
• Sodium Erythorbate
• Sodium Starch Glycolate
• Sorbitan Monostearate
• Sorbitol
• Sucralose
• Xanthan Gum
• Xylitol

And a whole host of non-food ingredients used in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry.

Are We Eating Too Much Corn?

Corn, in one form or another, has permeated into the majority of the commercially processed foods that we eat, cosmetics that we wear and pharmaceuticals that we use. And therein lies the problem.

As corn is processed it removes the healthier ingredients (water, vitamins and minerals) and concentrates the less healthy ingredients (sugar and carbohydrate) into a super-rich calorie-dense product. So when you eat a corn chip, for example, you’re eating far more corn-calories than the same volume of fresh corn kernels would have because you’re eating many times more dehydrated and compressed into the corn chip.

There are 249 calories in a 50g serving of Doritos Original Corn Chips which also contains 11.6g fat, 4.1g protein, 32.1g carbohydrate and 2.0g fibre. But 50g of fresh corn only has 54 calories which also contains 0.6g fat, 1.6g protein, 12.6g carbohydrate and 1.4g fibre.

And the issue with processed calorie dense foods like corn chips, cereals and breads is that it takes more of them by volume to fill us up, not to mention to artificial additives that actually cause unwanted chemical reactions in our bodies that encourage us to keep eating and drinking. So we eat more than we need because our brains are ‘tricked’ into thinking we’re still hungry. Whoever stopped at eating 50g of corn chips when there’s a whole bag there?

Today, our diets have gotten so far out of balance, and it’s getting worse. They are heavily weighted with grain, grain-based food products (foods and drinks laced with high fructose corn syrup and other grain-type additives), and grain-fed livestock products. Simply put, we’re eating too much grain (including corn) and that’s contributing to overweight countries with rising obesity epidemics.

Why People Get Corn Allergies

For some people who eat large volumes of corn and corn-based products their body has simply said ‘no more’. They have developed hypersensitivity by over exposure (the same thing happens with wheat) and a corn allergy has resulted.

Corn allergy symptoms can include:

• Migraine headaches of levels from annoying to emergency room
• Tingling sensation at the base of my neck that lasts for hours
• Asthma attacks and/or shortness-of-breath
• Tongue and face swelling
• “Raccoon” eyes and lines from my eyes down across my cheeks
• Rashes and hives, especially if something’s applied topically (like sunscreen)
• Intestinal issues, such as stomach discomfort/cramps/pain, diarrhea, nausea and/or vomiting
• Lethargy varying from tired to (literally) not able to stay awake
• Joint pains, especially overnight and in my legs
• Weakened immune system; sinus infections

So What Corn Is Best?

Fresh is best, and organic fresh corn is even better.

Keep processed corn to a minimum but if you need to indulge in corn chip then head for blue corn which has several nutritional advantages over standard yellow or white corn varieties. Blue corn contains 20% more protein and has a lower glycemic index than white corn. And the blue colour is due to the presence of anthocyanins in the corn – the same health promoting compounds found in purple berries and red wine.

How Do I Reduce My Intake of Corn?

If you suspect you may have a corn allergy, or you just want to improve the balance in your diet and reduce your consumption of corn there follow these easy steps:

1. Minimise or eliminate all of the foods that contain corn from your pantry – you’ll need to check the lists of ingredients to determine if a corn derivative has snuck into it
2. Know the corn additives you want to avoid and get into the habit of reading labels on all foods before you buy them – corn additives may not seem like a huge amount, but all these little bits add up over the course of a day
3. Buy organic foods (and remember–organic does not mean corn-free)
4. Eat a diet that consists of predominately fresh fruits and vegetables, a little lean meat and a few complex carbohydrates
5. And finally, make the right choices when eating out

In my book I explain that we only need 0.75g to 1g of pure protein per kilogram of body weight per day. Unfortunately the reality is most of us each much much more. But is it because we love the taste of protein, that sizzling mamoflesh (or tofu for the vegetarian and vegans)? Or is it that we’re simply not able to easily covert our daily protein needs into something more meaningful on our plate?

Restaurants and Take Away seem to add fuel to the fire, serving up protein-laiden meals generally with a large side of carbohydrate (like mash, chips or rice) and very few vegetables. In fact there seems to be a movement amoung higher end restaurants to not serve ANY vegetables with main meals so you actually need to order, and pay for, a side. And with our fast paced life and constant use of convenience food we’re simple getting accustomed to eating larger unnecessary portions of protein.

But why is it unnecessary and what are the implications of eating too much protein?

Research has shown that over consumption of protein not only leads to weight gain, but is also linked to intestinal issues, kidney problems, colon cancer and other cancer-related diseases. This is generally due to the amount of saturated fats contained in animal proteins as well as the extra work that the kidneys has to do to flush out the toxins which result from the breakdown and synthesis of digested proteins. Further, the acids that are produced need to be neutralised with calcium, and so boned may become calcium depleted and weak if I high protein diet is consumed long term.

So how much is too much protein?

Well the protein amount varies from source to source, and this is where confusion can occur:

• 100g of silken tofu contains a mere 4.5g of protein, but hard tofu contains 11.3g
• 100g of raw whole egg contains 12.5g of protein, and it stays about the same when cooked
• 100g of raw lean lamb contains 22.0g of protein
• 100g of baked Atlantic salmon contains 22.0g of protein, but the same amount grilled contains only 19.0g
• 100g of baked chicken breast contains 28.5g of protein
• 100g of grilled heart smart lean pork contains 30.5g of protein
• 100g of grilled lean beef fillet contains 30.0g of protein, but 100g of lean grilled rump contains 32.5g

So how do we use one rule of thumb to make all this easy?

1. Consider your maximum grams of daily protein is three quarters of your weight – so for an 80kg person it’s 60g or pure protein
2. Divide your protein requirements by the number of meals you have in a day. So for 3 meals a day you need about 20g, but for six meals a day you need only 10g per meal.
3. Multiply your meal value as follows
   • x 10 for Tofu
   • x 8 for eggs
   • x 5 for fish or any seafood
   • x 3.5 for chicken
   • x 3.2 for red meat
4. Select the leanest protein possible (no game meats, sausages, streaky bacon, pork belly, etc.)
5. All protein weights should be done after the meat is cooked due to moisture evaporation
6. This is the MAXIMUM about of protein – remember fruits an vegetables contain protein too so this will fill any shortfall in your protein requirements.

So let’s look at a comparative example. An 80kg person eats three meals a day.

• At breakfast they eat two 60g eggs on toast and an OJ (13.8g+)
• At lunch they eat a chicken and salad sandwich, or a chicken salad which contains around 200g of chicken (57g+)
• At dinner they eat a 300g sirloin, mash and veg (64.5g+)

Not taking into account any protein in the vegetables or other foods that accompany the protein components, this person has consumed more than 2.25 times their required daily consumption of protein – that’s over 135g! And it’s just so easy to do.

So what other tips should I follow to keep my protein intake in check?

1. East a little protein with EVERY meal to help keep you fuller longer
2. Choose only lean protein with any fat trimmed off before cooking
3. Cut back you regular portion sizes by at least half
4. Where possible go for non-red meat proteins like fish and chicken. Restrict red meat to 2 or 3 times a week.
5. When eating out order a mainly vegetarian meal, or if you really need that steak go for the 100g eye fillet, lots of vegetables and skip the bread, chips and rice!

As written for SophistiCareer: http://sophisticareer.com.au/half-the-woman-i-was-how-i-lost-70kg-naturally/

I recently serendipitously crossed paths with a woman who was the physical mirror image of who I used to be. The likeness shocked me so much that it made me stop and retrace the steps of my own weight loss journey and start asking some rather ‘big’ questions.

Of a similar age and with similar looks this woman had an oversized pear shaped body, just like I used to have – with giant upside down tree trunks for legs. Squeezed into a pair of poorly designed white trousers I estimated she weighed about the same as I had – 143 kg, give or take a few kilos. She’d made a futile attempt to cover up her large frame with an oversized shirt, a clothing staple of my own former wardrobe. I wondered if I used to look as big. My historical photographic evidence proves that I did.

I mentally compared my now slender frame against hers as I walked past her, trying not to stare. My old overweight frame shed more than seven years ago now seemed a distant memory. But this visual event had jolted me. The truth be told I had an almost overwhelming urge to run and give her a copy of my book, to help her ‘see the light’ and give her the answer. But I knew that if I did talk to her, that if I broached the subject, it could possibly be very painful for her. When you are that large the protection mechanisms are so overpowering that the interaction could have turned out very badly for her, and for me.

This retrospective on my life and temporary reconnection with the pain of being obese got me thinking about the changes I had made in my life in order to achieve such a startling life transformation. I started to wonder what was it that made this lady the size she was. I questioned why I’d been able to overcome my barriers to weight loss, and more intriguingly why she had not.

Diet is a Four Letter Word

The first step, on reflection, was that I had to get the right knowledge base into my head – I had to get my mind right. As a large child growing up into an even larger adult I wasn’t given the depth and breadth of knowledge about food that I believe every child should learn at school. And unfortunately most parents don’t know this information either and so sadly we’re turning into a society of large adults breeding very large kids.

I had to learn about food composition – carbohydrates, proteins, fats, salts, fibre. And I delved deeper: What is the difference between a simple carb, a complex carb, and the different between sugars? What makes a good fat bad? What fats are essential every day? How much sodium is okay and what’s the effect of having too much, or too little in my diet? How much is enough protein? What type of protein is best? What are the types of fibre? Was I was eating the right type and quantity to help prevent disease and to help me feel fuller, longer?

I delved further still learning about calorie density: A 60g Mars® Bar has 277 calories – the same as 2.3 kilograms of celery, which I couldn’t possibly eat. That same bar contains 42.2g of carbohydrates, 34.5g of which is pure sugar but I’d have to eat more than 5 times the amount of apple, over 300g, to achieve the same carbohydrate and sugar result, (except the sugar in fruit is healthier fructose and not sucrose). And that same bar contains zero fibre and a lousy 2.2g of protein, the same as a measly 8.5g of chicken meat. And that bar contains a whopping 6g of saturated fat – I’d have to eat three times the amount of chicken meat, over 180grams, to achieve that fat level.

And just as important I had to retrain myself into appropriate portion sizes, as over time I had taught myself to eat bigger and bigger meals. Understanding these differences and learning what the right food choices were was a huge paradigm shift for me. It was my first step to weight loss in getting the education to know the right choices, and then having the courage to make them that started my transformation. But it was my next step that was going to be an even bigger challenge.

Read about Sigrid’s second step to her amazing weight loss transformation in Part 2 of “How I Lost 70kg Naturally” coming soon.

Today on the way down in the lift I noticed a woman drinking from a used commercial water bottle. I wondered if she knew that there are some serious dangers with reusing plastic water bottles. Whilst there has been a huge amount of debate over this very topic the truth is that all plastics emit small amounts of plasticizer over time. And whilst the US FDA has advised that these plasticizers are harmless in small doses, and don’t pose a risk to consumers, other scientists beg to differ.

The issue is predominately with #3 or #7 plastics, or any hard plastic that are “shatterproof.” These plastics contain a chemical called Bisphenol A (BPA), which once ingested, mimics estrogen in our bodies. According to Scientific American, studies have shown that a build up of these chemicals can promote human breast cancer cell growth and lower sperm counts. Pregnant women, infants and children are especially at risk. But it’s important to remember that all plastic water bottled and containers leach small amounts of plasticizers over time, even if they are BPA-free.

And the issue becomes more complex if your main source of water is from plastic bottles, or if those bottles are ever frozen or heated (for example if left in a car on a warm day). Add to this the even more imminent danger that reused water bottles can contain dangerous build ups of bacteria if not washed thoroughly with soap and hot water between uses. If you refill a bottle without washing it you run the risk of bacteria left from the drinker’s mouth multiplying and building colonies on the bottle’s walls and grooves. And if your drink is anything but 100% water then the bacterial issue becomes worse as bacteria will use the addatives (such as sugar) as a food source to fuel their multiplication.

So, what’s the answer? The best option is to filter your fresh water straight from the tap as you need it (remember even tap water contains some bacteria). However if bottled water is required then the best options are glass containers (e.g. thermos with a glass insert) then special water carriers that are BPA-free which can be easily cleaned. Tupperware has some great relatively cheap options availble if you have a home water filter, and if you don’t then the Bobble could be exactly what you need!

OK, so there are a lot of diets out there on the market. Almost all of them are designed for quick term short gains. This means you get results over the first 7 to 14 days, but they NEVER work in the long run. Many diets are hard to stick to, they’re boring or require special foods. Others expect you to weigh out or calorie control everything you put in your mouth. The bottom line is that ANY diet will ALWAYS give you results for the first few days but after that, the weight you took off will creep back on, sometimes with extra pounds and you’ll feel like a big fat failure.

The word Diet, according to Dictionary.com has 5 meanings:

1. food and drink considered in terms of its qualities, composition, and its effects on health;
2. a particular selection of food, especially as designed or prescribed to improve a person’s physical condition or to prevent or treat a disease;
3. such a selection or limitation on the amount a person eats for reducing weight;
4. the foods eaten, as by a particular person on group;
5. food or feed habitually eaten or provided.

Only number 3 actually talks about restricting intake, so why is it more than 50% of the world’s population is either overweight or obese when there are literally hundreds of diets we can choose from?

Why don’t diets work? A diet should be a lifestyle choice, not an event or quick fix to a bigger underlying issue. Diets don’t work because they are all presented as short term solutions which force the body into a fight or flight scenario, rather than presented as a life-long eating plan.

The bottom line is that scholastic education is insufficient when it comes to health- we are not taught about food, its nutritional value (or lack thereof) or how each component – carbohydrate, protein, fat and nutrients (vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antioxidants) – are utilised by our body.

The answer to life is not “42” (to borrow a line from Douglas Adams), it is in “education”. This page will present a range of tools and tips that will reveal all you need to know in order to make the right lifestyle choices, eat the right foods and prolong a healthy and happy life.

Top 5 Tools:

Overall Program / Lifestyle Choices:

An overall education via a holistic program is the best way to battle the bulge. This is one of the best home education packages on healthy eating available on the market. If you believe, as I do, that education is the key, then this program is for you.

Portion Control Re-education:

It’s easy to over eat – most of the Western World is plagued by over sized food portions and All You Can Eat buffets which educate our stomachs and our brains to eat more than we should. Does anyone ever eat the serving quantity of a packet of food, or do they just assume it’s 1? Portion control is one of the biggest issues that can be easily resolved with re-education via a meals service or software tracking program.

Metabolism Boosters:

Our metabolisms get slower as we age and slow down. There are several ways to boost your metabolism, the most successful being exercise, particularly resistance training (see Exercise Tips and Tools page).

Organics for Massive Nutrients:

It’s well know that many nutrients are missing from our foods as we deplete our soils, genetically modify our foods and add growth hormones to ensure that things look right even if they’ve been grown in sub standard conditions. As a kid remember the taste of a fresh picked tomato off a bush in the back yard? What about a strawberry from pick your own? Do things taste like that now? Organic foods are the closest we get to a perfect world, and they provide significantly more beneficial nutrients without genetic modification or growth hormones, and they just taste better!

Supplements and Vitamins:

In a perfect world supplements and vitamins would not be necessary – everything from the earth would provide the myriad of trace elements required for the body to function perfectly. But we don’t live in a perfect world – the lack of nutrients in our food and inability or expense of organic foods means our intake may be lacking. This, coupled with extreme stress levels of the modern working world and lack of work/life balance means we can benefit from taking supplements or vitamins to “top up” our diet.

“What you eat in private, shows in public”

Sticking to your lifestyle plan is not always easy. Temptation (sugar, fat, salt, carbohydrates) comes in multiple forms and is often hidden in our foods.

From time to time we’re all guilty of eating foods that don’t support our wellbeing. More often than not this is done in the safety and comfort of privacy, the effects of which can quickly be seen in public!

What’s important is that you minimize these occurrences and ensure most of the time you’re eating good foods in appropriate quantities. The more you can stick to your lifestyle plan, the more health you will regain and the better you’ll feel.

• Plan to succeed – simplify your meals and make slow incremental changes in diet and exercise. Every step you make in the right direction counts.
• Everything in moderation – reduce portion sizes and don’t consider any foods or drinks taboo – you’ll just crave them and eventually give into temptation. It’s better to have a very small portion and enjoy it.
• Eat in balance – ensure you eat three balanced, well spaced meals a day and include smaller snack in between if you’re feeling hungry (6 x 200 calorie meals may work better for you than 3 x 400 calorie meals). And don’t skip breakfast – it is the most important meal of the day.
• Create eating rituals – Buy a special set of plates, cutlery, glass, place mat and napkin. Use them to set a place at the table for every meal. Lay your meal out and take the time to sit and enjoy it. Focus on the job at hand and don’t distract yourself with other things while eating.
• Hydrate – Drink 300mls of water before every meal to help fill you up before you start eating, and ensure you consume at least 2 litres of fresh or filtered water each day.
• Fresh is best – Fresh fruit and vegetables are great hunger solvers, are low calorie and contain all the nutrients you need to regain wellness. Raw and organic is best, and choose brightly colored fruits or vegetables as they’ll be high in anti-oxidants. Cut back on packaged and processed foods which are more expensive but have little nutritional value.
• Reject added nasties – Fats, sugars, salts and refined carbohydrates should be minimized as much as possible. Instead of margarine or butter, swap it out for avocado (in small quantities) or 2% ricotta. Replace sugar with Stevia or cut it out all together. If you’re going to add  salt, use one that’s high in minerals (Himalayan, celtic sea or pink salt) and use it sparingly. Choose complex carbohydrates and avoid anything that’s highly processed and has numbers for ingredients.
• Learn to cook – Steaming or grilling are the best cooking options to retain nutrients and flavour. If you’re not a cook then ask a friend, or take a couple of cooking made easy lessons to give you the confidence.
• Have a buddy -Having someone to report to on a daily basis can help keep you in check. And if you’re heading out to a restaurant they can also act as your “wing man” to keep you on the straight and narrow!

 Visiting our Exercise Tools and Tips or Diet Tools and Tips pages now for more helpful advice.

“No matter how far you have gone on the wrong road, turn back”

The body is an amazing machine. No matter how much we abuse it the body has an inbuilt survival program to help it adapt to new conditions. But the body also has a natural ability to heal itself when it is finally put back on the right track.

We’ve all heard amazing stories of people in difficult situations that have lived on fresh air (or only a Mars bar) and water for weeks on end. And the recovery powers of the body for those courageous enough to stop smoking are well documented, reversing most of the long-term effects of heavy smoking in 5 years, and returning it to the same state as a never smoker in 15 years.

So it’s never too late to make the diet and exercise changes to lifestyle that will restore your wellbeing. But did you know in the process you can also reverse the aging process?

We age because of free radicals in our bodies oxidize in our bodies and leads to us looking older before our time. Free radicals are everywhere, in the air, our bodies, and the materials around us. They cause the deterioration of plastics, the fading of paint, the degradation of works of art, aging related illnesses, and can contribute to heart attacks, stroke and cancers. They are also caused by eating highly processed foods.

Oxidation can be fought by eating a low-fat diet that is also high in antioxidants. These types of foods almost always revolve around different fruits and vegetables and also some whole grains. Foods lose their antioxidant powers when they are processed and cooked so eating a diet high in raw fruit and vegetables is preferable.

Eating a healthy diet may be difficult to begin with but in time it gets easier the longer you continue. You may just decide to increase eating fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains while reducing your intake of meat and processed foods. When you see the signs of aging quickly drop from your body no matter what your age is now it will be well worth the effort .

Diet alone is not enough, exercise that produces a benefit on all bodily systems (cardiovascular, muscular and skeletal) also plays a crucial role in reversing the aging process. With age our bodies naturally lose muscle mass which leads to weakness associated with old age. To reverse (or prevent) this it’s important to replace that lost muscle through resistance training sessions 2 to 3 times a week.

Start to reverse the aging process now by visiting our Exercise Tools and Tips or Diet Tools and Tips pages now.