posted 14th May, 2012 under Nutrition and Health Cabinet.
Being born into an Italian family I grew up eating anything that came out of my Nonno’s garden.
We made tomato sauce from squishing tomatoes and boiling old beer bottles, my family would buy a whole dead pig from a farm in the middle of Western Australia and cut all the meat off it to make our own sausages, we grew our own herbs and bought local produce as often as we could.
These good habits have been passed down from generation to generation.
No pesticides, herbicides or fungicides were used in the making of me and we all hope this is the case for all of us.
The question we all ask ourselves is “What foods should we avoid?” so our skin stays youthful, our insides run like clock-work and our children are free from harsh chemicals.
Here is a look at a variety of foods through the eyes of people who spend their lives uncovering the secrets we all hope to have knowledge of.
And this is my summary of it broken down for us non-scientists to understand.
- An Endocrinologist will not eat: Canned tomatoes.
Problem: Tomatoes are stored on shelves for years in tin cans which are lined with resin. Resin contains bisphenol-A which is a synthetic oestrogen that is linked to problems such as heart disease, diabetes and, the shocking one, obesity.
Solution: Choose tomatoes in glass bottles or just use fresh organic tomatoes for sauces.
- A farmer will not eat: Corn-fed beef.
Problem: Cattle evolved to eat grass, not grains. But farmers today feed their cattle corn and soybeans, which fatten up the animals faster for slaughter. Although this means meat has become cheaper it also means less nutrients for us in the end.
Solution: Buy grass-fed beef, which can be found at butchers and at various grocery stores. It is usually labelled because it demands a premium and although you might pay a little more for it, you and your family will benefit in the end.
- A toxicologist will not eat: Microwave popcorn.
Problem: Where do we start-it smells delicious and it tastes like buttered angels but we all know it isn’t good without me going into the science of it.
Not only are the chemicals which are used in the lining of the bag linked to infertility in humans, according to recent studies through an American University, they also stick around in the body for years and do nothing good for your cholesterol levels.
Solution: Pop natural kernels the good-ol’ fashion way. For flavouring please do not hesitate to add real butter or a pinch of icing sugar.
- A produce partner will not eat: Non-organic potatoes.
Problem: Root vegetables absorb all the bad stuff! All of the herbicides, pesticides and fungicides that go into the soil end up in your body.
It isn’t good enough to just wash the vegetable before cooking it because the chemicals are added during the growing season, through harvest and before they are taken to grocery stores.
Solution: I don’t need to say this again but buy organic. It might be a little bit more expensive but for peace of mind I think it is worth the extra couple of dollars.
Louise Jeckells.
Staying clear of anything that ends in ‘icide’.
posted 11th May, 2012 under Nutrition and Health Cabinet.
You’ve quit sugar over the past month, tried to stop drinking as much alcohol as you usually do and your fridge looks like it is straight out of an organic grocery- but your tummy still won’t lose a cm. What’s going on?
Perhaps the very ‘healthy’ pursuits you are adopting are exactly what is causing your weight loss to stall. In order of most common culprits I hear from our Hypoxi clients here is our list of ‘healthy’ habits that stall your fat loss:
- You are eating too much – even though it is clean and healthy: Just because it is organic, full of healthy fat and brimming with antioxidants, doesn’t mean you can go overboard. Yes, that means a small handful of almonds, not a giant fist full. And yes, it means attacking the whole large punnet of strawberries isn’t exactly advantageous.
- The healthy foods you are eating aren’t agreeing with you: Your body has unique biochemistry, which react to nutrients differently from one person to the next. Foods that typically cause problems are nuts, gluten, dairy and soy. All such foods that are staples in most people’s ‘low fat’, ‘calcium enriched’ diet. Cut them out. I think you will be rather surprised…
- You neglect breakfast: Breakfast establishes your metabolic rate for the day. Choosing a small breakfast will physically leave you crashing by 10am and reaching for the skinny muffin and skim latte. Furthermore, it will mentally leave you thinking that you’ve been saintly by ‘cutting back’. I guarantee you will more likely splurge later on in the day as you are unable to sustain your ‘calorie reduced’ mindset.
- Using ‘Diet’ Foods: For sure sugar free and fat free foods do usually contain fewer calories and so it goes without saying you might think they will serve you well in your fat loss goals. Take a look at the ingredients list first and try to work out what nutrients (if at all) are held within the aforementioned ‘100 calorie cookie’. If something is devoid of fat, it is usually amped up with artificial sugar, which generally leaves you craving more sugar. Finally without the precious fats, your body so desperately needs you will most likely remain unfulfilled and hungry.
Are there any other healthy habits you do to lose weight that are perhaps a little ironic?
posted 4th May, 2012 under Nutrition and Health Cabinet.
Since so many artificial sugars have been attracting suspicion as of recent, you may now be questioning that sachet of Splenda you add to your coffee or daily diet coke addiction.
Or- perhaps regardless of the stroke and cancer warnings, you fear the word “artificial” in itself.
But where does a health conscious, weight loss enthusiast turn to when she craves that much needed sugar hit?
In an attempt to conquer the nutritional vice that is fructose (ergo white table sugar) ‘natural’ sweeteners have taken off with a vengeance. Once confined to the realms of New Age Urban Hipsters, these supposedly not natural sugars are a marketer’s wet dream, riding on the tail coats of those fit enthusiasts who want their world to be sickly sweet but without the sugar. Natural sweeteners are the perfect answer to this conundrum. Right?
And herein lays problem number one.
What is natural? In contrast to Organic Foods, there isn’t a certified Australian standard for natural vs unnatural food. Effectively, it’s a word that promises a lot, but can ultimately signify nothing.
The power of this promise is heavily based upon how Australian consumers define natural vs healthy. Given the relative ‘newness’ of these sweeteners – there are no finite understandings of the effects they will have on our body. Furthermore given our zealous relationship with sugar there is no way of knowing what effect large quantities will do to us!
The second issue is the one I slam myself up against a brick wall, with a lot of our clients. Sugar, in all its low G.I and reduced calorie wonder is still sugar, regardless of its form.
That being said, for those with sever fructose allergies (they do exist) or diabetes, a little natural sweetness can do wonders for the soul.
And with this in mind, the girls here at Hypoxi took the Sugar Free challenge this week in order to decipher the good from the bad in the race for a life sans sugar.
Agave syrup
The deal: Agave Syrup now decks the aisles of all health food stores and is a similar taste experience to maple syrup. The syrup is actually extracted from the plant, agave which is in the same family as the cactus. In order to extract its sweet syrup, it needs to be processed, and funnily enough, once it has gone through this process it is pretty much identical to the much dreaded high fructose corn syrup. This is not so good – actually I would go as far to suggest it’s rather bad.
In its defence, agave does have a low g.i and is sweeter than white sugar, therefore you require less of it (ideally- although portion control when it comes to sugar is difficult). But what care I for stabilised blood sugar levels, when sugar and agave have the same number of calories, similar fructose content and no nutritional value?
Brown rice syrup
The deal: Brown rice syrup emerges when cooked brown rice is mixed with barley malt enzymes. (This doesn’t explain much now does it?) . The final product is 45% maltose and has absolutely no fructose in it, which means it hits your blood sugar at a much slower rate and won’t give you that energy crash that most sugars do. Additionally, the syrup retains trace elements of key minerals, so it isn’t a complete nutritional waste like most sugars are. Taste wise, I say it imparts a nice butterscotch taste. but with the main sugar in brown rice syrup being maltose, it is not as sweet as normal sugar. On the whole I like this as a transgression food for someone who is addicted to the sweet life but needs to make a sensible shift.
Stevia
The deal: I have talked about stevia before. I am a huge fan. It’s only downfall in my humble opinion, is that it takes a while to master the right ratio for you. Why? Because it is so dam sweet! Stevia is my favourite as it is not really a sugar.
Rather it is an herb that is about 200 times sweeter than your average teaspoon of sugar.
As an herb, it has NO CALORIES and doesn’t affect blood sugar at all. This in itself makes stevia a diabetics dream. It has been used extensively in Japan for decades now- having replaced all artificial sweeteners in low calorie beverages with stevia. When baking with the stuff, you need to keep in mind that you are losing the structural quality of one cup of sugar and will most likely need to replace it with some other bulking agent, such as almond meal or coconut flour. Finally, the sweetness of stevia lingers long on your tongue and can be off putting for some. For me? I love that the sensation of sweet stays a few seconds longer than the average spoonful of sugar.
Coconut Sugar
The deal: Coconut Sugar is essentially palm sugar – the stuff used liberally in Asian cooking. (think those glorious thai salads) . It is made by cutting the buds of coconut trees and gathering the sap. The sap is boiled until it thickens and becomes solid. In terms of nutrients, it is by far the most nutritious of all sugars as it is high in several minerals our body requires and is also very low G.I. My favourite part of coconut sugar is that it is the single most sustainable sugar in the world! Not bad. That being said, in regards to fructose content – it still isn’t fabulous - sorry. It is about 45% fructose so in my eyes, still pretty toxic.
In terms of the worst choice for these alternative sweeteners, I would categorically say Agave is out. Stevia, followed by Rice Malt Syrup are my preferred sugar sources as they are fructose free.
What about you?
How do you sweeten your life without sugar?
posted 3rd May, 2012 under Food for Thought,Nutrition and Health Cabinet.
Stress has always been depicted as an unhealthy factor in our daily lives with many undesirable sight effects.
The word is very taboo and many women do not mention it because relieving it would be a sign of weakness.
After hard consideration, and a few years of being able to maintain my level of stress, I have decided to stand up for ‘healthy stress’-a term which scientifically exists.
Like so many other things in our lives-a healthy balance to any situation is usually required and it is no different when talking about stress.
Stress is organised into four different categories ranging from healthy stress, which is usually based around situations to chronic stress, which requires medication.
Among the four levels of stress, it is the first level that is considered as “healthy stress”.
This word would confuse so many women.
How can stress be healthy?
On this level, a person is highly motivated and her energy levels are usually focused on a particular activity or job.
To stay mentally active in my job I create a healthy level of stress for myself.
I work myself up to this level and then I become more efficient.
I drink more water, I eat more fruit and I after I finish my activity I usually schedule something fun and interesting to calm myself down-like annoying my boyfriend.
Other examples of situations which occur around healthy stress are times when manageable life changing events occur, like a job promotion or getting married.
Stress is apart of life and although not everyone will go through it we will have partners that do.
It is important to understand the difference between positive, neutral and negative stress levels.
Research and understand it well because healthy stress is something we all have felt from time to time and maybe we should learn to work with it instead of against it.
And if all else fails in getting rid of your ‘unhealthy stress’ I suggest having sex.
Louise Jeckells
A lover of maintained stress
