Tag Archives: nutrition

6 myths we are told every time we watch The Biggest Loser

November 16, 2015 By in Love your body Tags: , , , , , , , , 3 Comments
  1. If I am overweight, there is something wrong and shameful about my body.
  2. If I am overweight, I need to lose weight to find confidence, happiness and self-worth.
  3. Weight loss is easy. If I can’t lose weight, there is something wrong with me.
  4. Extreme dieting and overtraining, even though they increase my risk of nutritional deficiencies and injury, are necessary practices because they result in weight loss.
  5. Weight loss is the most important outcome of exercise and eating.
  6. I am defined by the number I see on the scales.

Each of these assumptions are incorrect, ineffective and dangerous.

They do not just undermine why, and how, we should be striving to eat better and exercise more.

They also, very worryingly, reinforce the idea that changing who we are is a requirement for us to be self-accepting, confident and happy.

If you really think about it, why should this ever be true?

We now know that:

The Biggest Loser is now well over a decade behind the scientific world, which suggests that a better and healthier way to manage your weight in the long-term is, ironically, to stop making it all about your weight.

The desire to be the biggest loser undermines our ability to feel like, and be, a winner.

Why you shouldn’t eat like Elle Macpherson

November 2, 2015 By in Nutrition that works Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

One of the main reasons I see for all the confusion in nutrition today?

People seeing association as causation.

Association is 2 things that occur at the same time. This doesn’t mean that one causes another.

Causation is a description of cause and effect. One only happens directly because of the other.

Yes, it’s sunny when you’re at the beach, and raining when your umbrella is up. But going to the beach or reaching for your umbrella won’t change the weather, of course.

If we understand this, why believe that eating how Elle Macpherson eats is the right thing to do?

5 common myths about breakfast

October 26, 2015 By in Nutrition that works Tags: , , , , , , 2 Comments

Myth 1. Eating breakfast boosts our metabolism.

The best scientific evidence we have shows our resting metabolic rate is not increased by eating breakfast. Indeed, research shows that even not eating anything prior to midday for 6 weeks straight does not impair our resting metabolism.

Myth 2. Eating breakfast means we eat less calories in total throughout the day.

This is not only unproven, we actually know the exact opposite is true: we eat more. This makes good sense, because when we skip breakfast, we are skipping the intake of a significant amount of calories.

Myth 3. Purposely skipping breakfast is a good strategy for weight loss.

The largest and longest study to compare the effectiveness of skipping vs. eating breakfast on weight found that skipping breakfast:

  • does not result in any significant weight loss, and
  • does not have any significant effect on our weight compared to eating breakfast.

Just because eating breakfast does not increase our metabolism, and can mean we eat more calories in total, does not mean that we should purposely skip it.

Myth 4. When we eat is more important than what we eat.

What and how much we eat is, in my view, what matters most:

  • Whilst breakfast eaters have higher nutrient intakes than breakfast skippers, high nutrient intake is (of course) dependant on eating more nutrient-rich foods.
  • Whilst breakfast eaters have better long-term health than breakfast skippers, good health is (of course) dependant on eating healthier foods.

Myth 5. There is a ‘correct’ time to eat for everybody.

Research shows that one of the most consistent predictors of body weight (outside of genetics!) is the driver of what makes us eat:

  • When we eat in reaction to our external environment and emotions, we are more likely to overeat.
  • When we eat in response to our internal hunger signals, we are less likely to overeat.

Being more conscious about eating according to hunger is one of the most effective strategies we have to prevent overeating.

For me, the biggest problem with advice about eating or skipping breakfast is that it gives the impression we must be eating at a certain time.

In general, we actually don’t.

For most of us, eating is best done by listening to the hunger signals of our body, and not by worrying about what the time is on our clock.

3 reasons why you can skip the detox diet this year

October 5, 2015 By in Quit the dieting Tags: , , , Leave a comment
  1. There is no strong scientific evidence whatsoever to suggest detox diets remove toxins from the body. You see, because detox diets rarely define the toxins they aim to remove, or the process in which they eliminate them, their claims can rarely even be tested scientifically.
  2. The concept of detox dieting itself is flawed. Our liver, lungs, kidneys, intestines and immune system already remove harmful substances that enter our body, often within hours of their consumption.
  3. Detox diets often bring with them a number of unwanted side effects: low energy levels, nutritional deficiencies, headaches, constipation, and lost money on the unnecessary laxatives or supplements sold with the diet, are just some of the many examples. 

Yes, the promise of better health, weight loss, increased energy, glowing skin and greater confidence, in as little as a few days time, sounds too good to be true, because it is.

But whilst detox diets are a marketing exercise, and not a science, perhaps the biggest concern for me is that they make us believe that we have to do something drastic for better health.

We don’t.

Making small changes today that we can actually stick with leads to better health over time.

And when we make changes that do stick, we build the confidence and motivation that allows us to continue making more of them, long into the future.

What “everything in moderation” really means

September 21, 2015 By in Nutrition that works Tags: , , , 3 Comments

Yes, fruit contains sugar, and a high sugar intake can increase body weight.

But increasing fruit consumption to 2 serves a day enriches your diet with fibre, vitamins and antioxidants, reduces heart disease risk by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, decreases risk of early death by 12%, and does not actually lead to any weight gain.

Yes, grains contain carbohydrates, and a high carbohydrate intake may impair weight loss and lower good cholesterol, increasing heart disease risk.

But 40-50 grams of fibre-rich grains a day (only slightly more than 1 slice of wholemeal bread, or 1 bowl of oats) enriches your diet with vitamins, minerals, resistant starch and antioxidants, actually reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and bowel cancer, plus supports better weight management, too.

Yes, nuts are rich in calories, and reducing calories is the most important dietary factor for weight management. 

But just 30 grams of nuts a day (about 20 almonds, or 10 walnuts) provides unsaturated fats, fibre, phytochemicals and antioxidants, lowers risk of heart disease (by 30%) and diabetes (by 18%), and does not promote weight gain in any way.

Yes, dairy products usually contain saturated fat, which increases cholesterol and heart disease risk in comparison to unsaturated fats, and dairy increases prostate cancer risk too, particularly if more than 3 serves a day are consumed.

But about 2 serves of dairy a day (1 serve is 1 small tub of yoghurt, 2 slices of cheese or 1 glass of milk) is widely recommended as it provides calcium, protein, B vitamins and zinc, does not increase cardiovascular disease (it may actually reduces its risk, especially if fermented dairy foods are eaten, such as yoghurt and cheese), and may help to reduce body fat as part of a calorie-controlled diet, too.

Yes, red meat can increase bowel cancer risk, when 120g or more is consumed each day. 

But 120g of red meat (red meat includes beef, lamb and pork, and 120g is about the amount of 1 regular steak) consumed no more than 3-4 times a week provides easily absorbed iron, protein, zinc and B vitamins, does not increase heart disease risk when trimmed of visible fat, and, due to its impressive nutrient profile, may help with both weight management and meeting nutrient requirements on a calorie-controlled diet, positively affecting health.

Yes, coffee is rich in caffeine, which often leads to anxiety, insomnia and palpitations, in excess.

But 2-3 cups of coffee a day is not only safe for most adults, it reduces diabetes risk by 20%, and has no negative effects on long-term blood pressure or heart disease risk.

Yes, 2 or more standard drinks of alcohol a day increases blood pressure and the risk of oesophageal, bowel, liver, breast, prostate and pancreatic cancer, plus stroke and premature death.

But about 1 standard drink of alcohol on most days is not only safe, it is actually associated with a 29% reduced risk of heart disease compared to not drinking any alcohol at all.

Yes, confectionary and highly processed foods contain refined sugars, starches, salt, or saturated fat, directly contributing to poor health and lasting disease in excess.

But when no more than 500-1000kJ is consumed (500kJ is about 2 small scoops of ice cream, 6 small lollies or 1 small doughnut), it is not only compatible with healthy living, it can also provide you with satisfaction and joy, which quite ironically, in this way may actually reduce your likelihood of overeating calories and gaining weight and improve your immune functioning and physical health.

Notice, then, how it is the amount of food we eat, and not so much the food itself, that determines its health effect.

Whilst fad diets talk to us about good or bad and all or nothing, evidenced-based nutrition promotes the concepts of moderation and balance. It argues “everything in moderation” because it demonstrates that it is actually the amount that matters most.

The challenge today is how to separate fad diets from good nutrition, so that we have an informed understanding about where the healthiest ranges actually exist.

So to help make it slightly easier for you: in all my time spent reading the literature, never have I seen the healthiest range for a whole food group or major nutrient exist only at zero.

The 12 steps to setting (and achieving) your New Year’s resolutions

August 29, 2015 By in Change your behaviour Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Step 1. Brainstorm your dream list. Write a list of everything you may possibly want to achieve this year. Think big, without limits.

Step 2: Link each goal to your core life values. For each goal, ask yourself: Why is this important to me? What is it (exactly) that will make the sacrifice, discomfort and effort that’s required to achieve this goal truly worthwhile? If you don’t have a good answer, cross it off your list.

Step 3. Re-frame your remaining goals to capture your motivation. For example, the goals “Go to the gym” or “Lose weight” might become “A strategy to improve my fitness in an enjoyable and sustainable manner, which will be evidenced by having more energy and being able to enjoy playing with the kids when I get home from work.”

Step 4: Decide on what’s most important to you. You can’t be an Olympic marathon runner and our Prime Minister at the same time. Of the goals you have left, decide which are most important. I suggest choosing your top 4, that you truly believe can be achieved together over the course of 1 year.

Step 5: Ensure there is a balance. If all 4 goals are about climbing the corporate ladder, is that really how you want to spend your year? Research shows our well-being is highest when we find a balance between relationships, religion/spirituality, work and generosity/focusing beyond ourselves.

Step 6: Re-check before you commit. Ask yourself: are these goals really, truly how I want to invest much of my time this year? (Hint: If you’re not screaming out yes, the answer is probably no.)

Step 7: For each goal, write a (very) specific action plan to get you there. Decide on the small and simple behaviours you will commit to regularly that will get you to your goal. They should be things to do (go to the cycle class on Saturday mornings) as opposed to things not to do (stop eating chocolate). Consider also any extra skills, knowledge and support you’ll need, as well as the potential barriers that may come up.

Step 8: Create a clear timeline for your action plan. Divide your behaviours into steps you can do on a daily (or at least weekly) basis.

[Important: if you’re not extremely confident that you can do the action plan, read this post, or change it so that you are.]

Step 9: Plan exactly when and where you will do the actions. Choose both a time and a place that you will come across every day (or week).

Step 10: Each day (or week) you encounter that time and place, do the action. I highly recommend creating a chart that you can mark off every night before bed so that you can see your progress.

Step 11: Put a monthly reminder in your calendar to review your progress. Don’t wait until the end of the year to realise that what you have been doing hasn’t worked. If you find that at the end of the month you are not making consistent progress towards your yearly goal, revise your action plan (and double check that it’s truly an achievable goal).

If the problem is that you are not doing your action plan, either i) make the action plan easier, ii) understand and question your thoughts that are holding you back, or iii) make changes to your environment to better support your desired behaviour. (Note: Don’t beat yourself up here. It’s normal to fail – the trick is to learn from it and change accordingly.)

Step 12. Celebrate! Decades of research shows that when you do this process, it works.

That is, if you have the courage to face the possibility of failure, you also have the ability to make your dreams come true.

5 foods almost all of us need to eat more of

July 29, 2015 By in Nutrition that works Tags: , 4 Comments

1. Vegetables
2. Fruits
3. Fibrous grains (such as oats, wholemeal bread and high fibre cereals)
4. Legumes (beans and pulses such as baked beans, kidney beans and lentils)
5. Nuts & seeds.

Each of these foods truly nourish our body and research shows time and again that their consumption is strongly linked to our health.

Notice they are not all low in fat, low in sugar, low in calories or low in carbohydrates.

But they are all minimally processed plant foods that together form the base of a diet rich in quality fats, quality carbohydrates, dietary fibre, resistant starch, vitamins, minerals and an array of different antioxidants.

When we eat them consistently we improve the way our body functions right down to the cellular level, and in this way not only benefit today, but markedly reduce our long-term risk of weight gain, heart disease and diabetes too.

Enjoy all foods. Especially plants.