Hope isn't lost!

It has been a while since I have blogged, but after this week, I feel compelled to. After seeing Jamie Oliver, and attending a seminar on methods to address the obesity crisis, I am more inspired than ever to educated as many people as I can about the foods they are eating. Some of the things you may have heard about in the media lately include:

• Sugar is the devil and is worse for you than alcohol
• Jamie Oliver is fat, why should we listen to him telling us to lose weight and be healthy?
• We can't trust nutritionists and dietitians because they belong to associations whom receive funding from brands that manufacture junk food

What a busy few weeks it has been for nutrition in the headlines!!!

Instead of getting angry at various uneducated comments and peoples ignorance, I thought I should just write my thoughts.

First of all, my main philosophy regarding food and nutrition is to know what you are eating and to eat food that is nourishing. What do I mean by this? Soft drinks, biscuits, chips, deep fried processed meats and plenty of take away meals do nothing positive for your body. These foods don't provide you with the nutrients you need to stay healthy, fight diseases, feel great or sleep well. So it's an easy one - eat foods that will give you some benefits.

Education is key. Now I am not saying I agree with everything that comes out of her mouth (I don't), but Sarah Wilson has a lot to say about quitting sugar. She has lots of information on hidden sugars - and I think we all should know about that! Her website is http://www.sarahwilson.com.au/ One point about polyunsaturated fats causing cancer is just ludicrous, but there is some valid research about sugar and saturated fats (egg yolks are fine, as I have always said!)

Sugar is found naturally in fruit (fructose) and dairy (lactose), and we do need a bit of these sugars in our diet. But the refined white stuff is not required in our diets - it is cheap and addictive - so cut it out as much as you can.

This does however bring me to my next point. I hate being disappointed, and I found this news quite sad. Now I have always been cautious of the Heart Foundation tick program (their relationship with McDonalds backed that up), but it has now been put out in the public that the Heart Foundation have been financially supported by sugar companies, like CSR, and thus why we don't see sugar taking into account when products are given a 'tick' (mind you, products need to pay to use this tick...). The other big conspiracy is that the Dietetics Association of Australia receive funding from Nestle (not known for their abundance of healthy, nutritious foods).

This is business though - industry can't survive without money. To say that you can't trust a diet expert because of the association they belong to is ridiculous. There are good and bad dietitians, just there are good and bad doctors, personal trainer or accountants. Make sure your expert is up to date in their knowledge and word of mouth is key.

Now, I will say I am a giant fan of Jamie Oliver, he is one of my foodie heroes. What he has done for Victoria is amazing! Yes we have initiatives and celebrity chefs here already - but which of them received $5million of funding? His number one priority is EDUCATION. Teach people how to cook healthy meals, teach kids at school basic nutrition and where foods come from. How can any of that be negative?

So what if Jamie has out on a few kilos - you know what? He's busy trying to make everyone else healthy at the expense of his own health and fitness so shoosh. Haters gonna hate. The biggest killer in the western world is diet related illness and disease. I think that's a pretty good reason to start looking after ourselves and helping other to stay at a healthy weight, and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

There are a few things that tie this somewhat of a rant together. Educate yourself as much as you can. Know what you are eating - eat whole foods, avoid processed rubbish. Then you will have the power and knowledge to make up your own mind about claims and fad diets we will continue to see our entire lives. Treat you body with respect - it is your home, you don't get another one!

To end, here is Jamie Oliver's wish for the future. Inspiring stuff that we can all get involved in.

“I wish for your help to create a strong, sustainable movement to educate every child about food, inspire families to cook again and empower people everywhere to fight obesity.”

The sun is shining!

How good is daylight savings and this warmer weather? Not so good if you're feeling uncomfortable with your weight. It's not too late though! Help can be achieved right now with Dynamic Nutrition's online eating plans - you don't even have to leave your house/office for individualised nutrition advice and a weekly eating plan! You also get ongoing support and the option to submit your food diary weekly.

Research has proven that the key to lasting weight loss is ongoing support - either face to face, over the phone, or via email. So don't go at it alone when you can have the help you need with the click of a link. How easy is that?

http://www.dynamicnutrition.com.au/home/online_eating_plans

Meat Free Monday

Why is it a good idea to have a vegetarian meal at least once a week?

Vegetables are low in kilojoules, so if you are watching your weight, they can help you feel full, minus the fat or sugar.

Vegetables contain essential nutrients, like B vitamins, vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium and fibre!

Vegetables don't contain any cholesterol. In fact, no plant food source contain cholesterol, so great for those trying to keep their hearts healthy!

Here's a lovely frittata recipe to try, that is quick an easy for a weeknight dinner

http://www.dynamicnutrition.com.au/home/recipe_of_the_week

Keeping Your Insides Healthy

It’s a bit of an uncomfortable topic for some people, but gut and bowel health is not often spoken about. I was shocked to learn that one Australian dies every 2 hours from bowel cancer. If detected early enough, bowel cancer is treatable. There are lots of ways to reduce your risk of suffering from bowel cancer, and other gastrointestinal conditions for that matter.

Bowel cancer generally refers to a malignant growth in the lining of the colon or rectum. The condition can develop from polyps – tiny growths in the gastrointestinal tract. If cancer is detected before it spreads, survival rate after 5 years is 90%, so early detection is crucial. Symptoms to look out for include:

• A recent, persistent change in bowel habit to looser, more diarrhoea-like motions, going to the toilet more often, or trying to go (ie. irregularity in someone whose bowels have previously been regular)
• Blood (either bright red or very dark) in the stool
• Diarrhoea, constipation, or feeling that the bowel does not empty completely
• Frequent gas pains, bloating, fullness or cramps
• Stools that are narrower than usual
• A lump or mass in your tummy
• Weight loss for no known reason
• Persistent, severe abdominal pain, which has come on recently for the first time
(especially in an older age group)
• Feeling very tired
• Vomiting

Be aware of changes to your bowel habits and you should see your doctor if you are noticing significant changes or suffering from any of the mentioned symptoms. The scary thing is that bowel cancer is being diagnosed in younger patients, so no longer is it considered a condition for the older community. This is possibly due to a diet low in fibre, fruit and vegetables in Western countries.

As always, prevention is better than a cure! There are lots of things you can do to keep your digestive system healthy and reduce your cancer risk, like eating lots of whole foods – fresh fruit and vegetables, wholegrains and nuts/seeds. A high fibre diet is proven to reduce the risk of bowel cancer, but what exactly is fibre?

Fibre comes from plant materials, therefore animal products, like meat, dairy and eggs, do not contain any fibre. It is a material that our bodies cannot breakdown or absorb. Most people do not consume enough fibre in their diets, as it is recommended we consume about 30g of fibre daily to keep our bodies, and digestive system especially, working properly. This doesn’t necessarily mean we all need to start the day with a huge bowl of All Bran! A balanced diet will provide you with plenty of fibre to keep your body happy.


A diet rich in wholegrains, fresh fruits and vegetables will allow you to reach this recommended daily amount quite easily. Incorporating 2 cups of steamed mixed vegetables into your dinner will provide you with almost half of the daily recommended amount. Fibre is also quite abundant in breakfast cereals, which is why breakfast is so important! So go for fresh fruit and veg, and choose wholegrain products to keep you digestive system healthy.

Brand New Website

The Dynamic Nutrition website is up and running! Have a look!

http://www.dynamicnutrition.com.au

The online eating plans are really exciting, as there are no services as individualised in Australia. Email contactus@dynamicnutrition.com.au for more information or for initial forms!

Stay healthy!

Spring Cleaning!

Well it's nearly that time of year, and with a couple of warm days last week, I am getting excited for Spring! So I think it's time for a detox. And none of this lemon detox rubbish!

I am embarking on a 4 week gut and liver cleanse for a few reasons. It is a good idea to give your gut a rest every now and then. There are lots of different foods that can cause bloating and abdominal discomfort, and the more stress we put on our digestive system, the less effective it will be - so your food won't be breaking down and nutrients won't get absorbed!

Giving your digestive system a rest from any potential allergens will improve gut function - better digestion and no bloating! Sounds good! So what's to avoid? Well, the list includes gluten, dairy, caffeine, sugar, alcohol, additives, and anything artificial. So you can eat lots of wholefoods, fruits, vegetables and proteins. I am inviting my clients to join me too! If you can dedicate a month to improve your health, energy levels, sleep patterns, skin and liver function, then let me know!

kirsty@dynamicnutrition.com.au

I'll keep you up to date with my progress too!

Making healthy choices ALWAYS!

I recently found myself in an Airport with lots of time to kill and no food. After getting up at 4.30am, flying to Sydney for a seminar and not being able to take food with me, I found the task of buying a healthy meal quite daunting! So I decided to go with the following:

Vegetable and Lentil soup: Soups are the best way to get as many vegies as possible into your belly, lots of vitamins and minerals for energy production and a high water content, as flying can be dehydrating. Lentils provide protein and fibre - two elements to keep you feeling fuller for longer, as they take a while to digest.

Pumpkin and beetroot salad: Dark green leafies for B vitamins and magnesium, which both help with energy production. Low GI vegetables will fill you up, with chickpeas an added bonus for fibre. Warm salads are easy to find in Airports/food courts, and are worth paying a few extra dollars for.

Vitamin Water: Dehydration is common when flying and water is always the best option to rehydrate, but when you have been up early and drinking water all day, it can get a bit boring. Try to avoid caffeine too, it won't contribute to your hydration, so a low kilojoule drink with added vitamins could be a good choice for you. This one only had about 300kJ, so not a bad choice for a pick me up.