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How to adjust carbohydrate intake
How to adjust carbohydrate intake is the third article in this short series dedicated to this important source of fuel for physical activity. We have described what are carbohydrates and the use of carbohydrate for sports. In theory, carbohydrate requirements can be calculated knowing a few variables, however in practice there is often a mismatch between estimated and actual requirements. Sources of mismatch Wrong calculations Biological factors These include insulin sensitivity and glucose oxidation rates, which will determine how much carbohydrate the athlete can actually use for fuel. Health conditions Actual vs predicted output In many cases, this is the biggest source of mismatch. Some athletes can predict with a…
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How to add heat to your food
If you like hot (spicy) food and/or want to get more adventurous with chillies, here is your guide on how to add heat to your food. Spicy vs hot Many people use the word spicy to describe food that is hot due to the addition of chillies. This term might get confusing if you consider there are foods that are heavily spiced sometimes get labelled as “spicy” as well. How to add heat to your food Heat is normally added by the addition of chillies, although some spices such as black pepper and ginger can also introduce a bit of heat to meals. However, this article will focus on chillies…
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How to choose between food products
Navigating supermarket shelves can be overwhelming due to the increasing variety and confusing messages in packaging, including health claims. Below is some advice on how to choose between food products. How to choose between food products The triangle paradigm There is a paradigm used to illustrate the fact that there are trade-offs every time you choose one service or product over another. The way I learned it: if you want a service or product you can have it fast, cheap or good. These 3 characteristics are the vertices of a triangle. You can have 2 of the vertices but not all 3. So you can have something done fast and…
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What to do with leftovers
Cooking your own food is great for many reasons: saving money, eating healthy, ensuring your dietary requirements are met, etc. Cooking in bulk has extra benefits: leftovers. If you are of those people who don’t enjoy eating the same meal over and over again, you should learn what to do with leftovers. What to do with leftovers The obvious thing to do with leftovers is to eat them as the original dish. However, I prefer to save leftover food components to put them together as different meals afterward. Principles Food safety Other considerations Food categories Cooked vegetables Cooked vegetables are very versatile. They can be eaten as a side for…
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How to make Mexican-style bowls
In this article we’ll look at how to make Mexican-style bowls as they can be a healthy, delicious and easy meal option for your repertoire. What are Mexican-style bowls? What I calling Mexican-style bowls include what are commonly known as burrito bowls and Mexican or taco salads. However, some burrito bowls have no vegetables and I like my bowls to be heavy on the veg. How to make Mexican-style bowls You can follow recipes but I don’t. You can also get inspiration from the menu of your favourite Mexican restaurant. I have a general structure and ingredients I gravitate toward, which I’ll explain below. However, it’s more important to use…
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How to add variety to your diet?
Variety is the spice of life. Not only that, but adding variety to your diet ensures you get access to a greater number of nutrients. What is variety? Variety is defined as:“1: the quality or state of having different forms or types : MULTIFARIOUSNESS2: a number or collection of different things especially of a particular class : ASSORTMENT3a: something differing from others of the same general kind : SORTb: any of various groups of plants or animals ranking below a species : SUBSPECIES” (1) Why variety to your diet? There are multiple reasons why you could or should add variety to your diet, including: To keep things interesting To get…
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What affects satiety?
Satiation and satiety are complex processes that determine how much we eat. Understanding what affects satiety can help us ensure we are eating the amount of food that matches our needs. Satiety vs satiation Satiation and satiety are terms that are often used interchangeably. While both processes/mechanisms relate to eating and fullness, they actually happen at different times (1, 2). “Satiation was defined as a set of complex processes that progressively inhibit the motivation to eat during an eating event” (3). Satiation develops while we eat and causes us to stop eating (1, 2). “Satiety is the inhibitory mechanism that takes place after the end of an eating episode and…
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Substituting ingredients
If you cook some or all of your food, you might have to substitute ingredients due to a variety of reasons. Lately, these reasons have been mainly bare supermarket shelves due to Covid or floods. This article explores the reasons and ways of substituting ingredients. Reasons for substituting ingredients There are many reasons why you would want or need to substitute a particular ingredient in a recipe. These include: You (or someone you are cooking for) don’t like it You don’t have it when you need it You have it in your fridge or pantry but it’s expired You went to the shops and couldn’t find it It’s too expensive…
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Book review: Gutfull by Dr Joanna McMillan
Gutfull by Dr Joanna McMillan is an audiobook with a wealth of information about how to keep a healthy gut in an easy to understand format. The author Dr Joanna McMillan is a nutritionist and dietitian born in Scotland. She is very well known in the Australian dietetics community and the general population as she is very busy with professional webinars, TV shows, etc. She is an author, nutrition consultant and ambassador for many food, nutrition and health organisations and food businesses. Gutfull by Dr Joanna McMillan This audiobook is structured in podcast format, i.e. divided in episodes rather than chapters. The episodes are short and, as mentioned before, in…
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How to eat healthy when travelling
Travelling can be challenging for maintaining healthy habits. Whether you are relocating or visiting a new location, it is always handy to know how to eat healthy when travelling. Before travelling Before heading to your destination, do a little research. If you know someone who lives or has been to where you’re headed, ask for recommendations. Otherwise, search on the internet for highly-rated restaurants, markets, grocers and supermarkets. If you don’t speak the language, make sure you install Google Translate in your phone to translate menus, food labels, etc. At your destination Check out what kitchen facilities are available at your accommodation. This includes refrigeration, cooking facilities, small appliances and…
