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Brown sugar vs white sugar
Have you ever found yourself in the supermarket staring at sugar packets and not knowing which one to buy? Which one is healthier: brown sugar vs white sugar? What about raw sugar? What is sugar? The sugar you buy at the supermarket to put in your coffee is sucrose, a disaccharide (= two sugars) composed of glucose and fructose. Types of sugar White sugar: this is your regular table sugar. Caster sugar: has a smaller crystal size than white sugar. It is used for coating bakery products and confectionery. Brown sugar: is a moist, golden brown, very fine crystal product, made using selected refinery syrups. Raw sugar: is a free…
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Should you take BCAAs?
Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) is the name given to three of the nine essential amino acids. BCAAs are sold as a sports supplement to increase muscle synthesis and recovery. Today we answer the question: Should you take BCAAs? What are BCAAs? BCAAs or branched-chain amino acids are leucine, isoleucine and valine. They are essential amino acids (EAAs), meaning they cannot be made by our bodies and must be taken from the diet. Unlike other amino acids, BCAAs are not metabolised in the liver (1, 2) but in skeletal muscle (2). They can be oxidised and used as energy (2, 3). BCAA supplements are commonly used in athletic populations. Most supplements…
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Product review: Tummify probiotic shots
Tummify probiotic shots are an alternative to other probiotic products in the market that are higher in sugar. This is a product designed for gut health. Tummify probiotic shots Tummify probiotic shots are 98% sugar free and certified organic. Each shot contains 35 billion colony-forming units (CFU) of a 13 multi-strain formula (see more details in the Nutrition information section below). The product comes in 5 and 20-packs containing single serve (65ml) plastic bottles, which are BPA-free and recyclable. Ingredients Fresh organic milk (99%), monk fruit juice concentrate, prebiotic fibre, kefir cultures and probiotics. For reference, these are the ingredients in the most popular probiotic product, Yakult: Original: Water, skim…
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Diet and blood pressure
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a common chronic condition that represents a risk for cardiovascular health. Besides other lifestyle factors, there is a clear link between diet and blood pressure which we’ll discuss in this article. Blood pressure levels In Australia, blood pressure is classified as follows (1): Category Systolic (mmHg) Diastolic (mmHg) Optimal <120 and <80 Normal 120-129 and/or 80-84 High-normal 130-139 and/or 85-89 Mild hypertension 140-159 and/or 90-99 Moderate hypertension 160-179 and/or 100-109 Severe hypertension ≥180 and/or ≥110 Isolated systolic hypertension >140 and <90 Target recommendations vary for individuals that have other health conditions. Dietary factors Sodium In about half of people with hypertension and a quarter…
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Gluten free sliced bread
If you follow a gluten free diet for health or preference reasons, you might know that good gluten free sliced bread is hard to find. This applies to taste, texture and, most importantly, nutrition. Brands Some of the most popular sliced bread brands offer gluten free options, including the big supermarket brands. Examples include Helgas, Abbott’s Village, Woolworths and Coles. A little harder to find are Genius Gluten Free, Well & Good, Venerdi, Deeks and Naturis. Ingredients While regular bread can be made with 3-4 ingredients (flour, water, salt and yeast – which you can omit as a deliberate ingredient if making sourdough), gluten free bread is not easy to…
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Vitamin D and athletic performance
Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, is well known for its role in bone health. Other roles include muscular and immune function, hence the interest for studying vitamin D and athletic performance. What is vitamin D Vitamin D is an essential fat-soluble vitamin (1). The active form of vitamin D is 1,25-dihydroxycholecaciferol (a.k.a. 1,25-dihydroxivitamin D) (2, 3), which interacts with vitamin D receptors (VDRs) (1). Sources of vitamin D Most of the vitamin D we get (80-90%, 4) is synthesised in our bodies from 7-dehydrocholesterol (2) after exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation from the sun (2, 4). The remaining 10-20% is obtained from the diet (4). Sunshine The actual amount…
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Product review: PBCo protein shakes
PBCo, formerly known as The Protein Bread Co, specialises on high protein, low carb products. Their PBCo protein shakes are a good alternative to similar powders in the market that contain sugar or artificial ingredients. PBCo protein shakes These protein shakes come in three flavours (banana, chocolate and vanilla) in 500g resealable bags, which equals 14.3 servings. Each serve contains 23g of protein that come from whey protein concentrate. The shakes are gluten free, low carb and contain vitamins and enzymes making them more digestible. They have no artificial colours, flavours or sweeteners (they’re sweetened with stevia). Ingredients Banana: Australian whey protein concentrate, vitamin blend (calcium carbonate, whey protein isolate,…
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Book review: The Fast 800 (Dr Michael Mosley)
The Fast 800 is one of the most recent diet books by Dr Michael Mosley, author of the famous 5:2 diet. His books focus on the use of “intermittent fasting” for weight loss, blood sugar regulation and general health. The author I first heard from Dr Mosley through his piece on high intensity interval training (HIIT, see video below). I later learned about his 5:2 diet and know a few people who have done it. It wasn’t until I read his bio that I realised that Dr Michael Mosley became a psychiatrist after working in other fields, and then decided to move away from the medical profession. He is mostly…
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What to do with canned beans
Canned beans are great additions to a healthy diet. They’re cheap, nutritious, convenient and shelf-stable. Keep reading if you’re looking for ideas on what to do with canned beans, chickpeas and lentils. Types of canned beans All types of legumes (e.g. beans, lentils, chickpeas, peas) can be found in canned form. In most cases, they’re either canned in water with or without salt, except for baked beans. Nutrient composition Canned beans, chickpeas and lentils are a good source of fibre and a decent source of protein, folate and other micronutrients. What’s nice about these legumes is that there’s virtually no nutritional difference between cooking them from dried or buying them…
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Nutrients in organ meats
Organ meats are a staple in some traditional cuisines, but unfortunately not very common in Western countries. Nutrients in organ meats include many vitamins and minerals, making them true superfoods. What are organ meats? Organ meats, or offal, are exactly what they sound like: meat from animals’ organs. This includes the heart, liver, brain, thymus gland, intestines, etc. Organ meats contain many micronutrients and that’s why they are highly regarded in traditional cultures. Nutrients in organ meats The graphs below contain a comparison of some nutrients for different types of organ meats (data from 1). What about cholesterol? Cholesterol content in organ meats is higher than in muscle meats such…
