NUTRITION

The basis of good nutrition starts with a healthy balanced diet. This includes all 5 food groups in moderation. It’s very easy for us to over indulge in one or more of these food groups but if you can pin point your areas of weakness and eliminate a few bad habits by creating new habits of good nutritional value you will be on your way to a healthier well balanced body from the inside – helping you achieve optimal healthy results and therefore improving your fitness goals on the outside when it comes to exercising with us.  
And what I mean by a healthy balanced diet of good nutritional value is whole foods!  Make sure when you do your shopping that the majority of your shop is not refined, not processed, not packaged instead it should be mainly fruits, vegies, and original or organic produce, as fresh from the source as possible and you and your tummy will be smiling.

The 5 food groups are:

1. Fruit & Vegetables
2. Protein - this includes lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts, legumes
3. Grains - this includes bread, cereals, rice, pasta and noodles
4. Dairy - this includes milk, yoghurt, and cheese
5. Fats & Oils

If your goal is to lose weight or maintain a healthy body you should look to:

1. Reduce the carbohydrates in your diet (grains) to only once (or twice) a day and rarely in the evening.
2. Only eat small amounts of protein at each meal (size to be palm of your hand)
3. Eat as many steamed vegies as you like and small amounts of fruit
4. Dairy should be low fat – but watch out for sugar – no added sugar or no artificial sweetener is a must!
5. Small amounts of good oils and fats such as Poly and Mono-unsaturated oils like Olive Oil, Avocado, walnuts, cashews, almonds, seeds, tuna, salmon (oily fish) & seafood.
6. Drink plenty of water – but not bucket loads (approx. 30ml per kilo of body weight)  And no sugary or fizzy drinks!!

Remember that fat is an important part of a healthy diet. However, some fats are better than others. Saturated fats increase blood cholesterol. Mono-unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats tend to lower blood cholesterol. Trans fatty acids (or trans fats) are potentially harmful and are used to make baked products, pies, cakes, biscuits and buns. The better fats are Omega-6 and omega-3 fats as these can benefit your health.

Common fat-containing foods
Different foods contain different ratios of fatty acids:

1. Saturated fats – sources include fatty cuts of meat, full fat milk, cheese, butter, cream, most commercially baked products such as biscuits and pastries, most deep-fried fast foods, coconut and palm oil.
2. Mono-unsaturated fats – sources include margarine spreads such as canola or olive oil based choices, oils such as olive, canola and peanut oils, avocado, and nuts such as peanuts, hazelnuts, cashews and almonds.
3. Polyunsaturated fats – sources include fish, seafood, polyunsaturated margarines, vegetable oils such as safflower, sunflower, corn or soy oils, nuts such as walnuts and brazil nuts, and seeds.

Sources of omega-6 and omega-3 fats
Polyunsaturated fats can be divided into two categories:

1. Omega-3 fats are found in both plant and marine foods, although it is the omega-3 fats from marine sources that have the strongest evidence for health benefits (including reducing the risk of heart disease). Plant food sources include canola and soy oils, and canola-based margarines. Marine sources include fish, especially oily fish such as Atlantic salmon, mackerel, Southern blue fin tuna, trevally and sardines.
2. Omega-6 fats are found primarily in nuts, seeds and plant oils such as corn, soy and safflower.

Benefits of omega-3 fats:
Research is ongoing, but the benefits of omega-3 fats in the diet seem to include that it:

1. Lower triglyceride levels, which are important risk factors in coronary heart disease
2. Improve blood vessel elasticity
3. Keep the heart rhythm beating normally
4. Thin the blood, which makes it less sticky and less likely to clot
5. Reduce inflammation and support the immune system
6. Reduce blood pressure
7. May play a role in preventing and treating depression
8. Contribute to the normal development of the fetal brain.

* Please note ‘Common fat-containing foods’ information has been sourced from: http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/fats_and_oils

Calcium, Protein and Iron:
Calcium and Iron are important in our diets, especially for women, pregnant women, children and women athletes.
Try not to over do the protein – especially if you don’t do too much exercise as the protein can strip away the calcium from our bones (osteoporosis). The acids released by the body as it digests protein are absorbed with the help of calcium. So if you don’t have enough calcium in your diet, your body will take the calcium from your bones. Too much protein over a long period of time also has the potential to cause kidney failure, which can also mean Diabetes. Protein intake above about 1.5-1.7 grams per kilogram of body weight is not only pointless, but potentially harmful. For more detailed information please refer to http://www.nutritionaustralia.org/national/frequently-asked-questions/weight-management/high-protein-diets-detailed

Low iron is very common in women and a deficiency can lead to anaemia. Consuming iron with vitamin C greatly increases the absorption of iron however dairy can limit the amount absorbed by the body. So if consuming a source of iron make sure its with some orange juice or brightly coloured fruits or vegetables and no where near dairy.
* Please refer to http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/iron_deficiency_adults for more information on this topic.

For some great tips on losing weight and building a healthy body click through to my articles page.