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Product review: Nutriboost
Nutriboost is a high protein flavoured milk drink made with no added sugar. It is enriched with fibre and vitamin D and has a 5 health star rating. Nutriboost Nutriboost is made by infamous Coca-Cola Company. Before you stop reading, remember that they also make water, juice and other not-so-bad-for-you beverages. Nutriboost is enriched with milk proteins, polydextrose as a source of fibre, and vitamin D. It is sweetened with an artificial sweetener. The drink comes in 3 flavours: chocolate, vanilla and banana. It is available at Woolworths supermarkets, and often discounted when buying 5 or more. Ingredients Below are the ingredients lists for the current 3 flavours. Note they…
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Salad dressings
Eating salads is great but some salads are better than others. Beside the actual salad ingredients, salad dressings make a huge difference and can become an issue for people with certain health issues. We have all heard that a salad in a fast food restaurant is “worse for you” than a burger. These “claims” are made on the basis of energy (kilojoules/kilocalories) and/or fat content alone, without taking into account actual nutrient content. To be clear, a “salad” made with pasta, bacon and mayonnaise is not great for you, but a vegetable salad that is high in fat and energy coming from extra virgin olive oil, olives and/or avocado is…
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Food and migraine
The relationship between food and migraine does exist but it’s not crystal clear. Many foods can act as triggers and certain dietary interventions may decrease the frequency and severity of migraine attacks. What is migraine Migraine is a disabling headache disorder (1) which may present with symptoms such as extreme sensitivity to light, sound and smell, nausea, vomiting and movement sensitivity (1, 2). Both genetic and environmental factors influence migraine (2). Food triggers of migraine Some foods are commonly reported as migraine triggers, including: chocolate (1, 2, 3) citrus fruits (1, 2, 3) some vegetables such as tomatoes (2, 3) and onions (2) nuts (1, 2) dairy products such as…
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Fibre in food
As seen previously, dietary fibre is generally good for health and can even be useful to athletes wanting to improve body composition. Fibre in food is present in different quantities so it’s good to know which foods have higher contents. Fibre in food As seen previously, fibre is present in many plant foods, including vegetables, legumes (e.g. lentils, beans, chickpeas), fruits, cereals, nuts and seeds. The exact amount of total fibre and the types of fibre contained in each food depend on the actual food. Most food databases and nutrition information panels contain the total amount of fibre rather than the amount per type (e.g. soluble, insoluble, resistant starch). In…
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How to improve body composition
As seen previously, improving body composition can confer a competitive advantage to some athletes. Hence the interest of athletes and coaches on how to improve body composition. In general, improving body composition means decreasing fat mass and increasing fat-free mass or muscle mass (a.k.a. lean body mass). Besides training protocols and periodisation, there are nutrition approaches that can achieve a favourable change. How to improve body composition Body composition can be improved using a variety of nutrition approaches. Broadly speaking, they can be categorised as dietary manipulation (e.g. tweaking energy intake or macronutrient levels) and supplementation. Note that not all research in this area is done on athletes. Some studies…
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How to eat more vegetables
According to the Australian Dietary Guidelines, adults should eat about 5 serves of vegetables for good health (1). However, only 7.5% of the adult population manage to meet their recommended target (2). Part of the problem is that some people don’t like vegetables, but it’s also true that many people don’t know how to eat more vegetables. How many serves of vegetables For most of the population from the age of 9, the recommended number of serves is around 5 serves per day. This varies based on gender (males need more) and life stage (pregnant and lactating women need more). Likewise, more active individuals, such as athletes, need more. The…
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How to survive the holiday season
One month till Christmas! Yes, yes, Christmas 2020 will not be like any other Christmas but the holiday season always comes packed with plenty of opportunities to break healthy habits. Keep reading to find out how to survive the holiday season, 2020 edition. Holiday season, version 2020 This year everything is different. Although we are lucky that there are not as many cases in Australia as in other countries, the way we live our lives has changed, at least for a period of time. Many people are not back to their work or study places full-time and large gatherings are not allowed. Private gatherings are also meant to be held…
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Energy density vs nutrient density
When assessing whether a particular food is beneficial for you or not, energy density vs nutrient density is an important consideration to make. In general, you should seek out nutrient density for health. Energy density Density is a physical property of matter that describes the relationship between mass and volume (density = mass / volume). However, when talking about energy density, we refer to energy (kilocalories or kilojoules) / volume. Therefore, energy dense foods are those that pack a lot of energy in a small volume. Energy dense foods are often high in fat (because fat is the macronutrient with the most energy per gram: 9 kilocalories or 37 kilojoules)…
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Magnesium and health
The relationship between magnesium and health is widely studied because of the importance of this essential nutrient in many body functions and the prevention of chronic diseases. What is magnesium? Magnesium is a mineral involved as a cofactor in many processes within the body, including metabolic functions (energy production, glucose breakdown, protein synthesis, RNA and DNA synthesis), bone development, immune and neuromuscular function (1, 2, 3). It’s also involved in the balance of calcium, sodium, potassium and antioxidants (1, 2, 4). The total amount of magnesium in an adult is about 25 grams, of which 50-60% is located in the bones (1, 3) and about 0.3% in serum (2). This…
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Nutrient reference values vs nutrient intake in Australia
We all know we should be eating vitamins and minerals but not many know how much. Is there a gap between nutrient reference values vs nutrient intake in Australia? What are nutrient reference values? Nutrient reference values (NRV) are the recommended levels of intake of different nutrients, based on scientific evidence about food intake and health. The NRVs for Australia and New Zealand are expressed as a recommended daily intake (RDI) of each nutrient, which is the average amount of the nutrient that is required for the majority of healthy individuals. For some nutrients where the RDI could not be determined, the recommendation is based on the adequate intake (AI)…
