Tag Archive | nutrition

Secret Snacking Habits Of Thin People

“It’s Christmas Time, Mistletoe & Wine”

Oh yes, and party time and snacking time!!

 

If you’re like the average Christmas party goer, then any thoughts of being good at this time of the year generally go out the window.  The array of snacks and drinks on offer are all tempting and the encouragement of “go on, it’s only once a year” reduces your resolve very quickly.  Peer pressure to conform is very difficult to resist!  Have you ever heard of the saying,

“it’s my party and I’ll eat if I want to”? 

So, that is a little bit of a changed saying, but, according to a very recent study on snacking behaviours, you are more likely to snack when it is a special occassion, or there is an opportunity put in front of you (think platters of food!).  And, let’s face it, Christmas is generally considered a special occassion, as are all the office parties, the family get togethers, the friend catchups!

 

The question then remains, how do you avoid these tempting snacks, or the drinks that are on offer, and remain true to your plan of healthy eating?

 

My plan

  • Avoid Hunger

One way to be free from the temptation of the food platter is to go to the party with a full stomach.  This can be achieved by having a snack before you arrive, consisting of high protein and fibre and lower in calories. This will create the sensation of fullness so that you can still have one or two tempting treats, but you won’t be searching for something to overcome that inevitable hunger attack when you first arrive after being at work all day.

 

  • Avoid Stress

Stress can lead to emotional and compulsive eating.  Christmas creates a lot of stress for many people and for a variety of reasons.  Remember this when you are heading into the Christmas season.  Some ways you can avoid stress are to incorporate meditation into your daily routine, complete a gratitude diary every evening before bed and to utilise adaptogenic herbs that can allow you to manage your stress better.  Personally, I use herbs such as ashwagandha, eleuthero, and shizandra daily to mitigate my stress levels.

 

  • Have a Plan

Drinking alcohol, or even sweet cocktails, seems to be on the increase around the party season.  These are the hidden and empty calories that will ensure you become a statistic and increase your weight by 5kg (about 10lb) over the holiday season.  Plan to swap or replace these drinks with a healthy option.  If you don’t want to appear to be ‘the only one not drinking’, plan to have a spritzer (half wine, half soda water) and ensure you alternate this with a glass of water.  This plan will take you far into the holiday season without adding the weight to your body.  Other options available today include low (or no) alcohol drinks.  I especially love using bottle sparkling water, I always feel I’m having a special drink, add a slice of lemon or lime and some ice and an umbrella and I’m in party land!

 

  • Use Balanced Snacks

Make sure you carry balanced snacks with you during the holiday season. By balanced snacks, I’m talking about snacks that contain carbohydrates, protein, fats and fibre.  Small snacks such as these will give you that full feeling and that extra energy you need to get through the hustle and bustle of food preparation, present buying and present wrapping, all while finishing up your work deadlines in time for the summer break!

  • Be Gentle On You

Remember, it’s alright if you splurge once in a while.  Remember to have a plan to get back onto the road of healthy eating and living the very next day. Don’t allow a night of indulgence ruin your plans by the allure of, well, I’ve done it now, might as well really ruin it!!  Pick yourself back up the next day and get right back into your healthy eating plans, look forward and not behind you, it’s difficult to keep moving forward when you’re constantly looking over your shoulder.

  • Begin Today

Avoid the temptation to start your New Year’s resolution to commit to a healthy lifestyle in 2015. Begin today!  Use your healthy lifestyle plans to begin your Life Journey today, every step forward is a step further ahead. By waiting until January 1,  you’ve wasted over 2 weeks of your precious life!!

To get started on your healthy Life Journey, using healthy balanced snacks and meals, contact me now!

Dieting and snacking

Snacking, courtesy of Isagenix

 

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Gluten Free Brownies

Processed Sugar Free, Flour Free Brownies

 

This week I have been bombarded with food recipes, so I thought it was time I shared!

 

This recipe came to me via Facebook, and I wanted to try it out over the weekend.  My first trip was to the health food store for the raw cacao as I had the rest of the ingredients in my cupboard.

 

The hype was that it was Processed Sugar Free, Flour Free and made from Sweet Potato.

 

I wanted to see if the recipes we are sharing are actually reproducible.

 

This is the recipe as it was posted – I’ve put in my additions in RED and included step by step photos.  Enjoy!

 

2 Medium sweet potatoes peeled and chopped about 700g of sweet potato, chopped into small pieces

Brownies

Sweet Potato chopped

1/4 cup of raw cacao powder
1 and a 1/4 cups ground almonds
1/4 cup raw honey
1/2 cup dates
Pinch of sea salt I used Himalayan Rock Salt

Preheat oven to 180c, line an 8 x 8 tin with baking paper I used a greased muffin tin

Boil sweet potatoes for 5 mins, then blend, I used a hand blender

Brownies

Blending the cooked sweet potatoes


add everything else

Brownies

Adding the remaining ingredients

and blend till smooth.

Brownies

All the ingredients blended together


I was very pleasantly surprised at this stage, as it now looks like any cake mix – wow!!


Place in tin and bake for 25 mins. This took about 50 minutes, not sure if it was where I had the tray in the oven, lower shelf, or if it was because I used a muffin tin, or if this is just how long it takes!!

Brownies

Cooked brownies cooling

Cool before attacking them. They were yummy – still have some left, and shared some too

Brownies

Brownies are now ready to eat

 

I cooked them until a skewer came out clean when testing them.  The brownies are moist in the centre and have a firm outer.  The taste is like that of a standard brownie, with a slight hint of something else (I suppose that’s the sweet potato).

 

I have approximated the calories (this recipe made 10 muffin sized cakes) as 200 calories per brownie. So, as a treat for me, I am having half of a brownie with a cuppa (I usually have chai or green tea) when I feel like something special.  I’m storing them in an airtight container in the fridge too.

 

Enjoy!!

Cleaning Up For Christmas

Cleaning Up For Christmas

 

Oh my gosh, yes, it’s that dreaded word!!! Christmas! Halloween is now officially over, and the next big holiday a lot of people are expecting is Christmas (though I know for my northern American friends, it’s Thanksgiving!).

 

I’ve been reflecting on where I was last Christmas, and where I’m heading to this Christmas.  Last Christmas I was in the middle of my new Life Journey.

At that time I had just recently completed a 10 week challenge at the gym, was sitting around 67kg (147lbs), looking towards achieving my goal weight of 60kg (132lb) sometime in the New Year.  My goal over Christmas was to not gain weight – and, yep, I achieved that goal. In fact, I lost weight over Christmas!!

 

Weight loss

Jul – Dec 2013

 

So, for this end of year celebration, as we head rapidly towards the end of 2014, I was looking at where I’ve come from and where I’m heading too.

 

Over the last few months, I’ve been feeling a little bit on the sluggish side, so I knew in my heart it was time to complete a 30 day nutritional cleansing program again.  It kicks off today!!

 

As it was day 1, I decided to do my weights and measures (as I’ve not measured myself since I hit my goal weight of 60kg in March this year.  I was very surprised at the results!

  • Firstly, I am now the same weight – 59kg (130lb)
  • Secondly, most of my measurements are the same – EXCEPT FOR:

THE BUTTOCKS!!!!

Surprisingly this measurement has decreased by a full 9cm since March

WOW!!!!!

THE UPPER ARM (BICEP)

Not surprisingly, this measurement has increased by 2cm since March

How happy was I with these results? A toned butt and biceps?  Awesome!!!!

Anyway, that was the most surprising element of the measurements that were taken.

My goal for this 30 day cleanse is to improve my energy, clean up my insides, possibly release another 3 – 4kg (6 – 8lb) and increase my motivation as we head into the silly season.

In the way of accountability, here is my ‘before’ shot:

Weight Loss

Day 1 – 1 Nov 2014

 

During my cleanse days, I will be actively recording how they progress on my Facebook page.

I will be undertaking some deep cleanse days, and these involved two days, yes two days, of fasting.  These are supported by nutritional snacks, cleansing herbal drinks, lots of water and my special treat – a green tea infused dark chocolate!

 

So, enjoy my journey and I’m excited about seeing the final toned information after 30 November!

Contact me to begin your Life Journey now

Delicious Risotto

Spring Chicken & Vegetable Risotto

 

Often risottos are full of cream, butter and cheese, making them less desirable when you are changing your food options to match your new Life Journey.

 

I adore this particular recipe for a couple of reasons,

  • firstly, it contains asparagus, which I really enjoy in springtime
  • secondly, it only has 6g of fat, up to 19g less than standard risottos
  • thirdly, it is < 600 calories for a serve (actually 590!)

 

risotto 600 calories

Borrowed from lovefood.com

 

We made this recipe last week, however I forgot to take a photograph, so I’ve found one and borrowed it just for this blog. It’s very similar to the final recipe, except we grate parmesan over the top when we serve.

 

To serve 2 people

Ingredients:

  • olive oil spray
  • 150g chicken breast fillets, thinly sliced across the grain
  • 115g frozen peas
  • 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed (woody ends trimmed off) and cut into 3cm lengths
  • 1/2 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1T water
  • 750ml (3 cups) chicken stock
  • 63ml (1/4 cup) white wine
  • 220g (1 cup) arborio rice
  • 1T fresh thyme (1/2 tsp dried)
  • salt & freshly ground pepper
  • 10g (1/8 cup) finely grated parmesan cheese

 

Directions:

  1. Heat a non-stick frying pan, medium heat, spray with olive oil spray. Add the chicken and cook for 4 – 6 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer the chicken onto foil and fold to keep in the juices and heat.
  2. In the non-stick frying pan, add the onion, garlic and water, cook, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes, until the onion softens.
  3. Meanwhile, put the stock and wine into a saucepan and heat until just coming to the boil. Cover and reduce the heat to low to hold at a gentle simmer.
  4. Add the rice to the onions and stir until well combined.  Add a ladleful of stock to the rice mixture and stir constantly with a wooden spoon unitl the liquid is completely absorbed.  Continue to add liquid and stirring until the liquid is absorbed, and repeating this until approximately 1 – 2 ladefuls are remaining.  Add the asparagus and peas to the stock to cook for 2 – 3 minutes.  In the last few ladefuls the asparagus and peas will be added to the rice mix. Cook the rice until it is just tender but firm to bite and the risotto is creamy (approximately 20 minutes).
  5. Add the chicken and 1/2 the fresh thyme (if using dried thyme, add it all to the chicken stock when you add the asparagus and peas), stir to combine.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.
  6. Spoon into bowls and serve with the parmesan and remaining fresh thyme.

 

ENJOY!

Salad Season Begins!

What to do, invited to a BBQ, and asked to bring along something for the BBQ and a salad.  I don’t know about you, but when I’m invited to something like this, I like to try out something a bit different than the standard lettuce salad!

 

So, I decided to set myself a task of making a salad I’d never attempted before. Couscous has been popping up in my life a lot lately, so I wanted to make a couscous salad. I also wanted a salad that I knew had health benefits for myself and my friends too and utilised the herbs I had growing in my garden.

 

I started out by doing a simple google search for Couscous Salads and found several options that all looked tempting and inspiring.  Me, being me, I couldn’t follow the recipe, so I developed my own.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did and enjoy the fact that it is balanced with herbs, vegetables and couscous (fibre and carbohydrates), as well as being approximately 126 calories per serve.

 

I love having salads that combine with an easy to prepare protein to create a meal with 400 – 600 calories.  This salad went very well with Tandori chicken breasts or with grilled salmon steaks.

 

Couscous Salad

Couscous Salad

 

Ingredients

  • 2 cups vegetable stock
  • 1.5 cups couscous
  • 0.5 cup cracked bulgar wheat
  • 4 spring onions, roughly chopped into 2 cm pieces
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp turmeric
  • 4 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 0.25 cup of mixed fresh herbs (I used coriander, parsley & sage), finely chopped
  • 4 T lemon juice (for dressing)
  • 1 roasted pepper
  • 0.5 cup toasted pine nuts (do this in a dry pan, take care as they toast very quickly)
  • 0.5 cup cranberries
  • 1 T olive oil

 

Method:

  1. Bring the vegetable stock to the boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from the heat and add the couscous and cracked wheat, stir into the stock, cover and set to one side for 5 minutes. Once all the liquid is absorbed, fluff up with a fork. Let cool.
  2. Toast the pine nuts in a pan. Remove from the heat and set to one side.
  3. In the same pan (keep the dishes down!), add the olive oil, heat gently then add the onions, stir for 2 – 3 minutes.
  4. Add the garlic (crushed), cumin, cinnamon and turmeric, cook, with stirring, for 30 seconds, or until fragrant – smells divine!
  5. Add the chopped tomato, pine nuts and pepper. Cook, with stirring, for 1 – 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
  6. When cooled, I left for about 0.5 hour, mix together in a bowl the couscous, chopped herbs and cooked onion/tomato/pinenuts/pepper/spices mix.  Add the lemon juice as a dressing.  Taste and season as required with pepper.

I think this was better preparing it the day before it was needed, but you decide!

 

ENJOY!

 

The secret to starting your day with a bounce!

A great way to start your day is with protein in your breakfast.

I do this every day with a serving of 26g of protein – so I decided to look out for recipes that also contain a similar amount of protein, also ensuring there is a balance of carbohydrates and fats and fibre too – you can’t forget those little beauties to begin your day!

 

Here is a selection that I have found for you to enjoy:

Protein Packed Oatmeal (borrowed from Live Fit)

  • contains chia seeds for that extra nutritional boost
  • 28g protein

 

Chia Oats,

Chia Oats, Live Fit

3-ingredient Peanut Butter Pancakes (borrowed from Fit Foodie Finds)

  • grain free and dairy free
  • no peanut butter was used, so lower in calories
  • 20g protein

 

Pancakes, from

Pancakes, from Fit Foodie Finds

Salted Chocolate Oatmeal (borrowed from The Lemon Bowl)

  • uses cocoa powder
  • using the protein powder I use, I would take out the vanilla and yoghurt, still have high protein (well, 2 scoops of the powder will give you the 26g that I have)
  • 17.7g protein
  • next time I have my banana & chocolate smoothie, I’m adding some oats and salt to experiment – definitely tempted!

 

Enjoy these interesting and healthy ways to begin your day with bounce!

 

What’s making you & your family fat?

Obesogens

 

Recently I was listening to a podcast and the discussion was on ‘Chemicals that makes us fat, depressed and toxic’

 

Take the time to have a listen – I was very impressed with the research and training Kim Morrison has undertaken and how she has implemented her passion into her life, creating a healthier lifestyle for herself and her family and friends in what sounds like a very gentle and caring manner.

 

This podcast introduced me to the concept of obesogens – not something I’ve heard of before (the term has been coined in research papers since 2002, though accredited to being developed by a Professor in 2006), but the underlying philosophy of obesogens is one that I am learning about a lot in the past year while I’ve been 0n my life journey.

 

The myth is changing

Releasing those toxins, and weight!

 

I’m now finding out more about obesogens and how they can affect our lives.

 

It appears that researchers are now gathering evidence that there are subtances, which have been named obesogens, that are affecting how our body metabolises foods and may predispose some of us to gain weight.  The concept that environmental chemicals could be related to weight gain was first discussed in an article published in 2002.

This article discusses how the meat industry, and the pharmaceutical industry, have been using chemicals to encourage weight gain where required.  I find this funny that the idea was not turned around for the obesity epidemic we are now facing sooner – it’s only taken 12 more years to make a connection!  Surely the hormones that were fed to the cattle were going to be eaten by the consumers – i.e. us!! Our body is not made to excrete excess toxins, it can excrete plenty, but we are being exposed to a lot.

 

Another article I’ve been reading discusses how people and animals (even urban rats) are increasing in weight, regardless of their diet and exercise regimes.  I must admit to having felt this way at times myself. No matter how hard I tried, there was always a plateau in my weight loss.  How I arrived at “fair, fat and forty”.

 

I was curious to see that the obesogens are essentially chemicals, or toxins, that are abundant in our everyday life.  The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in the US say there are 15 – 20 chemicals that have been shown to increase obesity from exposure either when inutero, or in infancy.

 

Chemicals abundant in our everyday life include:

  • phthalates, which are in fragrances (not that you’ll see this on the ingredients label), so you see this in beauty products, laundry powders, air fresheners
  • many plastics (PVC)
  • cigarette smoke (known to produce underweight babies who then play growth ‘catchup’)
  • drugs (e.g. DES – will explain this one below, the diabetes drug Avandia® (rosiglitazone))
  • msg (monosodium glutamate)
  • pesticides, (e.g. DDE, a chemical still in our food chain from the breakdown of DDT; tributyltin [TBT], a contaminant in our waterways and still used as a stabiliser in PVC)
  • bisphenol A (BPA), which is found in medical devices, in the lining of some canned foods, and in cash register receipts
  • perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a friction reducer, so you find this items such as in carpets, non-stick cookware, Scotchgard and Goretex products (remember our infants crawl on carpets)

 

It appears that these obesogens act as disruptors in the normal metabolism and hormone systems within our body.  They can

  • increase the number of fat cells;
  • increase the size of fat cells;
  • change the body’s ability to feel satiated;
  • it’s appetite control;
  • food preferences; and
  • how food is metabolised

 

One of the interesting things for me was the discussion on exposure in-utero.  As a 1960s baby, my mother was given the drug DES (diethylstilbestrol), a drug to reduce the risk of miscarriage.  The only miscarriage I’ve noticed about this drug was the increased risk to vaginal cancer, breast cancer and reproductive issues.  Now I find out that it may also have a role to play in why I have struggled with my weight since I was a little girl. Very interesting indeed.

Cute & Cuddly DES does make

Cute & Cuddly DES does make

 

Exposure of our next generation to chemicals that can be avoided is something we can all be aware of, living a more sustainable lifestyle, taking care with the skin care products we put onto our skin, reducing our reliance on plastics, eating food that has been exposed to pesticides and herbicides and drinking water that has been filtered.  I would say that we are not able to completely avoid all of these contaminants – e.g., how do you find furniture, carpets and cookware that has not been manufactured with some of these chemical contaminants?

 

How can you not be exposed when it is stated in the article that nearly every adult and child in the US has at least PFOA’s in their blood – avoiding contamination may be tricky.

 

I’m feeling very blessed that I have now discovered a way to keep my internal organs supported in removing excess toxins daily. It’s a simple drink that I have every morning, to support my cells in doing what they know how to do naturally.  And it tastes of berries!  If you want to know more, ask me

 

What are your kids eating?

Everything in moderation is okay

In today’s society parents globally tend to agree that everything in moderation is okay for their children.  Do you agree?

Does this mean that of the 17,000 new processed foods introduced to the market every year, these are foods you want to be giving to your children in moderation? (1)

At what point does moderation become excess?

 

I feel that moderation becomes excess when we are giving similar ingredients in foods that are multiplied in processed foods.  These ingredients are not necessarily those that we wish our children to be getting on a daily basis.

 

The foods children need to grow include:

  • fruit
  • veges
  • whole grains
  • proteins
  • healthy fats

The best way for your children to get these healthy food types, including their vitamins, minerals and micronutrients that are all required for their growth and brain development, is through eating locally grown organic wherever possible.  If not locally grown, then organic, if not organic, then locally grown in season.

 

What do you do though if you cannot access these all year round? Or you  have fussy eaters?

 

Did you know that our soils are depleted of minerals? (2)  Did you know that over 80,000 environmental toxins are released yearly and many are not tested for? (3).  How do you think this is affecting the nutritional content of the foods you are feeding to your children?

 

Are they receiving the nutrients they need to grow into healthy adults? To grow up without the added risk of Type 2 Diabetes? To grow up without the risk of obesity?

 

There are statistics available (4) that highlight that children in the US today do not get enough fruit and vegetables, and that this is a greater problem as children age.  What foods do your children eat that contain high sodium levels (lots of extra salt added), high fat levels (fried foods), high sugar levels (sweets, cakes, processed foods, even ‘low fat’ foods)??

 

How to change this for your children?

 

Switch to superfoods that have natural ingredients, no artificial sweetners, flavours or colours to supplement your healthy food choices.

  • Look to locally grown, inseason organic foods to cook with,
  • skip processed foods,
  • reduce your concept of ‘moderation’ for processed foods or treats
  • increase exercise for your children, go to the park and run around for 1/2 an hour every evening

Change the eating patterns of your family by joining a revolution of good quality foods that provide nutrients for healthy growth, increase exercise routines in your family to have more fun as a family. Ask me about how.

 

My own bananas, just ripening now

My own bananas, just ripening now

 

By doing these things, and following a healthy nutritious diet, you are more likely to be creating a foundation for your children to grow into healthy, strong adults.

 

Ask me how now!

1. Pollan M. Food Rules, An Eater’s Manual. The Penguin Press, New York, 2011.

2. Davis DR, Epp MD, Riordan, HD. Changes in the USDA food composition data for 43 garden crops, 1950 to1999. J Amer Col Nutr, 2004;23(6):669-682.

3. Reuben SH. Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk: What We Can Do Now. President’s Cancer Panel, Annual Report 2008-2009. Retrieved from: http://deainfo.nci.nih.gov/advisory/pcp/annualReports/pcp08-09rpt/PCP_Report_08-09_508.pdf

4. Cohen, E. Ten Ways To Get Kids To Eat Their Veggies. 2011. Retrieved from: http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/06/02/kids.eat.vegetables.ep/

Feeling “fair, fat and forty”?

When I approached my 40s I was a firm believer that I wouldn’t be a sterotype.  What happened to that??

 

In my 40s I fell into the belief that I could easily blame my ‘slow metabolism’ – you know, the one where you look at a chocolate cake and you can feel the weight gain happening around the middle?  Or, you look at the gym and think, ‘tomorrow I’ll go and sign up’?

 

This belief is one that is prevalent in our society today – the number of women I speak to and they all agree that the spare tyre around the middle, or the thickening thighs, or the increasing buttocks are all something we have to live with as we age, as menopause lurks ahead of us and our metabolism slows!!

 

This is me, in my 40s, living the dream we sell ourselves – fair, fat and forty – and the progress I made once the myth vanished!

 

The myth is changing

The myth is changing

 

This myth, that we have to live with this outcome, is about to be blasted out of the water!

 

There are three ways you can increase your metabolism and turn your body shape into one that you desire

 

  1. Increase your muscle mass
  2. High intensity exercise
  3. Having muscle building and thermogenic foods

 

1. Increase your muscle mass

The more muscle you have, the more energy you need to maintain it, so this ensures you are using more calories.

Resistance training is key for achieving muscle gains, since this will increase the rate of muscle turn-over and rebuilding (1). If you’re not familiar with the techniques of weight training, it may be best to focus on large muscle groups—chest, back, shoulders, and legs—for maximum metabolism results. In the gym, that means doing exercises that will train these areas specifically, such as the chest press (chest), lat pull down (back), shoulder press (shoulder), and squats (legs).

 

2. High intensity exercise

High intensity exercise , as opposed to exercise that is not that intense determines the extent of muscle building and cardiovascular improvements, and determines how long and to what extent you’ll burn calories after you finish your workout (2).

An example of high intensity exercise is where you work at the highest resistance you can and at the highest speed you can, for a minute, then drop both back to resting levels for two minutes.  Repeat this for 5 cycles – a total of 15 minutes workout, but at a high intensity, or what is now known as High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT, or HIT) – see a personal trainer for a refined program that suits you.  Essentially with HIIT you are working out at 80% of your maximum capacity.

An example of exercise that is not so high in intensity is a run for 30 minutes, or an aerobics class such as Zumba – good fun exercises, but not at an intensity that is going to increase the length of time or the amount of calories you burn after your workout has finished!

 

3. Have muscle building and thermogenic foods in your diet

The best way to support your muscle building activities in ideas No. 1 & 2, is to include protein in your diet.

High quality whey protein has been specifically shown to be of more benefit to muscle building than other proteins (3). Also, whey protein containing foods have also been shown to boost metabolism for longer than foods containing soy proteins (4).

What you’re aiming for in your food intake is foods that take more calories to digest the foods.  Did you know the following facts?

  • of every 100 calories of fat eaten, only 0 – 3 calories are required to digest
  • of every 100 calories of carbohydrates eaten, only 5 – 10 calories are required to digest
  • of every 100 caloreis of protein eaten, 20 – 30 calories are required to digest that protein

This makes protein thermogenic (calorie burning).  Now, I’m not suggesting you head out and eat only protein.  That is not a balanced diet and will not set you on the path of avoiding the ‘fair, fat and forty’ syndrome!!  I am suggesting a balanced diet that has a calculated amount of protein contained within it (high quality protein too), up to 36 grams of protein in two of your meals.  Along with fibre, carbohydrates, fats (yes, we still  need ‘good’ fats for our hormones to be carried around the body safely!) and vitamins and minerals.

Other thermogenic foods to consider include green tea and chilli – as these contain thermogenic compounds that will assist the body in keeping the metabolism functioning at a high speed!

 

Throughout my life journey, I have been utilising good quality whey proteing, thermogenic foods and HIIT – I have achieved, and am now maintaining, my goal weight.

 

You can do this too and avoid the myth!

 

Circle of the Myth

Circle of the Myth

 

 

1. Effect of an acute period of resistance exercise on excess post-exercise oxygen consumption: implications for body mass management. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2002 Mar;86(5):411-7. Epub 2002 Jan 29.

2. Børsheim E, Bahr R. Effect of exercise intensity, duration and mode on post-exercise oxygen consumption. Sports Med, 2003;33(14):1037-60.

3. Yang Y, Churchward-Venne TA, Burd NA, Breen L, Tarnopolsky MA, Phillips SM. Myofibrillar protein synthesis following ingestion of soy protein isolate at rest and after resistance exercise in elderly men. Nutr Metab (Lond) 2012;9:57.

4. Acheson KJ, et al. Protein choices targeting thermogenesis and metabolism. Am J Clin Nutr 2011;93(3): 525-534