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22 habits for 2022
If you like to take the new year as an opportunity to get serious about your health but don’t know where to start, here are 22 habits for 2022. Resolutions vs habits Resolutions work for some people but chances are most people who make new year’s resolutions don’t keep them. This can be because most resolutions are unattainable, too vague or focus on the result instead of the process. Habits are behaviours that are repeated consistently. They take time to establish, but once up and running they don’t require much effort to keep going. 22 habits for 2022 Below is a list of suggested habits you can implement in your…
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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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Characteristics of master athletes
With increasing interest in health and wellbeing, the number of master athletes continues to increase. The characteristics of master athletes seem to indicate a net benefit of lifelong physical activity. What are master athletes? “Master” is a nice word to refer to older athletes. The actual cut-off date depends on the sport (and, in some cases, on the country) but in general anyone 35 years or over competing in sporting events can be considered a master athlete. Characteristics of master athletes Aerobic capacity Maximal aerobic capacity is measured using VO2max. Even though this declines with age, it is important to note that master athletes retain more aerobic capacity than sedentary…
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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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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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Low calorie flavour boosters
If you are currently in lockdown, chances are you are not as physically active as usual. If you are concerned about gaining unnecessary weight but find healthy eating “bland”, the solution is to use low calorie flavour boosters. As discussed in a previous article, one way of lowering your energy intake is to cook your meals at home instead of buying takeaway. We have also seen that homemade salad dressings are likely healthier than store-bought ones, however they are not necessarily lower in energy. Balancing flavour and energy density is not difficult to achieve if you are familiar with certain ingredients and willing to experiment. Low calorie flavour boosters for…
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How to add more protein to your breakfast
As we’ve seen before, eating adequate protein at breakfast is a great strategy for improving body composition and maintaining muscle mass. In this article we explore how to add more protein to your breakfast. Protein for breakfast As discussed in a previous article, higher protein breakfasts can help with satiety and weight management. Moreover, sports nutrition science points at an ideal dose of 0.25-0.30g of protein per kg of body weight per meal (including breakfast!) for building muscle. High protein breakfasts Breakfasts that can be naturally high in protein include: Leftovers from dinner Egg-based breakfasts (boiled/poached/fried/scrambled eggs, omelette, frittata) Smoothie with milk, yoghurt and/or protein powder However, if your breakfast…
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Product review: Seedlip drinks
Seedlip drinks are an alcohol-free alternative for those people who enjoy botanical-based spirits. They are great simply paired with tonic or soda water or incorporated in more elaborate cocktails. Seedlip drinks Seedlip makes alcohol-free sugar-free distilled spirits based on a variety of botanicals. They can be considered a zero-alcohol alternative to gin (although the manufacturer informs they don’t use juniper in their production process so technically it cannot be called “gin”). These drinks have been produced in London since 2015 and are now available in several countries, including Australia. The currently available flavours include: Grove 42 (citrus): with Mediterranean orange, lemon peel, lemongrass and ginger Spice 94 (aromatics): with allspice,…
