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Product review: Naked Life non-alcoholic cocktails
Naked Life non-alcoholic cocktails are a good ready-to-drink alternative for when you choose to stay sober. Besides zero alcohol, they are also sugar-free. Naked Life non-alcoholic cocktails These alcohol-free drinks are manufactured by the Victorian company Naked Life, which also produces other lines of beverages. The non-alcoholic cocktails come in four-packs of cans, each containing 250mL. I have bought them at Woolworths and have seen them available at Dan Murphy’s and a few online retailers in both cans and bottles. I suspect the company is planning to expand their list of stockists, given the popularity of alcohol-free beverages. The cocktails come in a wide variety of flavours inspired by the…
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How to survive the holiday season
Welcome to the 2021 edition of the “How to survive the holiday season” guide! Hope the tips below help you stick to healthy habits during this hectic time of the year. Holiday season, 2021 edition 2020 was hard, 2021 has potentially been harder. Some of us thought we wouldn’t go through lockdown again but we were wrong. On top of the frustration of being “trapped” at home, we added the burnout of having been there before. Mental health suffered, healthy habits went off the window. The holiday season comes packed with family and other social commitments despite life not being “back to normal” yet. Under normal circumstances, being “naughty” for…
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Product review: Slendier pasta sauce
Slendier pasta sauce is the perfect complement for their bean pasta. Find why this is currently the only pasta sauce I’ll buy in a jar. Slendier pasta sauce The Slendier range of pasta sauce is organic, low in energy and low in carbohydrates. All of the flavours are dairy-free and vegan. In addition, most are gluten-free. The sauces come in glass jars containing 340g, suggested to be enough for 4 servings. The current available flavours are: Basil & Tomato Eggplant & Zucchini Artichoke Red Capsicum Capers & Olives Lentil and Mushroom Vegan Bolognaise Tomato, Vegetable & Chilli Slendier pasta sauce is available in the health food section of supermarkets (check…
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How to prevent and reduce DOMs
If you have ever engaged in exercise, chances are you have experienced delayed-onset muscle soreness, a.k.a. DOMs. In this article we explore how to prevent and reduce DOMs. What is DOMs Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMs) describes the tenderness and soreness that may be experienced after exercise. It normally peaks 24-72 hours after exercise and goes away after 5-7 days (1). DOMs typically occurs after performing exercises one is not used to (i.e. unaccustomed exercise) and/or eccentric exercise (i.e. controlled lengthening of muscles) (1, 2, 3). The most commonly cited potential causes for DOMs include lactate build-up in muscles, inflammation, muscle spasm, muscle/connective tissue damage, increased muscle temperature (1, 3). There…
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5 common nutrition myths
There are many nutrition myths, some of them known as “vampire myths” because they refuse to die. In this article I’ll be breaking down 5 common nutrition myths that I hear on a regular basis from clients. #1: I can’t eat bananas because I’m a diabetic Bananas, like most fruits, have natural sugars. However, bananas are not the sweetest fruits around. A medium banana has 14.2 grams of sugar, less than a medium red delicious apple (21.3 grams), 1 cup of red grapes (27.7 grams) and a medium mango (37.9 grams). Does this mean you should not eat fruit if you have diabetes? Absolutely not! Fruits are packed with other…
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Product review: Formulite
Formulite is a new brand of meal replacement products designed for low energy (LED) and very low energy (VLED) diets. How does it compare to other brands in the market? Formulite Formulite meal replacement products include both shakes and lupin-based soups. You can use the products within the following programs based on your goals: Weight loss Rapid weight loss Pre-bariatric surgery If you have ever worked with me, you know I normally don’t recommend LED or VLED diets to patients with overweight or obesity concerns. However, Formulite is different. Their meal replacement products are high in protein, low in carbs and sugar, contain prebiotics and probiotics, do not have any…
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Intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting is a dietary pattern that involves voluntary energy intake restriction. In this article we explore the different types of intermittent fasting, potential benefits and more. What is fasting? Fasting is not eating. It is common in normal life, for example: we don’t eat between bedtime and breakfast and prior to blood tests or some procedures (e.g. colonoscopy, surgery). What is not fasting? Technically, any form or food or drink intake breaks a fast. In practice, however, water and potentially some energy-free (i.e. non-caloric) beverages such as unsweetened black coffee do not seem to make an impact in fasting status. Below are some examples of what some people do…
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Product review: YoPRO Perform yoghurt
YoPRO Perform yoghurt is a great high protein, low fat, no added sugar post-workout snack for active individuals. With 20 grams of protein per serve, it is possibly the highest protein per serve option in the market. YoPRO Perform As their name imply, YoPRO Perform yoghurt is specifically formulated as a post-workout snack. The Perform range also includes nut protein bars, not included in this review. Like the original YoPRO line of yoghurt, all Perform products are high in protein (20 grams per serve), low in fat and have no added sugars. In addition, YoPRO Perform yoghurts have branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and probiotics. These yoghurts are currently available at…
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Inflammation and diet
Chronic low-level inflammation is a feature of most chronic health conditions. The link between inflammation and diet is multi-factored and can’t be reduced to individual foods or nutrients. What is inflammation? Inflammation is an important mechanism of the immune response. Under normal circumstances, it acts as a local response to cellular injury. The characteristics of inflammation are increased blood flow, capillary dilatation, leukocyte infiltration, and localised production of chemicals (1). The signs and symptoms of inflammation include heat, redness, swelling, pain, and loss of function (2). Types of inflammation Broadly speaking, there are two types of inflammation: acute and chronic. Acute: This is the “good” kind of inflammation, which happens in…
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Why do we keep breaking World and Olympic records?
If you watched the Tokyo 2020 Olympic games you would have noticed there were many records broken, often by the same athlete. Why do we keep breaking World and Olympic records? Of course there is no one answer to this question and this is not meant to be a prescriptive article, but more of a thought process around the fact that records are broken all the time. The great and humble Georges St Pierre said that MMA fighters of today are better than fighters of his generation and future fighters will be better than current ones. It is a fact of sports because all the disciplines that support athletic performance…
