Five Food Groups

The most crucial aspect of maintaining a healthy diet is to ensure that you are eating a wide variety of the 5 food groups in appropriate quantities every day. This sort of balanced diet ensures you are getting all the right amounts of vital nutrients you need to keep you healthy and prevent serious diseases later in life.

The 5 food groups are:

• Cereals/Complex Carbohydrates
• bread
• rice
• pasta
• noodles
• cereal
• oats

• Meat & Protein Products
• lean red meat (beef, lamb, pork)
• fish
• poultry (chicken, duck, turkey)
• eggs
• lentils
• chickpeas
• nuts

• Dairy Products
• milk
• cheese
• yoghurt

• Fruits

• Vegetables

 

As well as including all these foods in you diet, it is also very important to:
• Moderate fat intake
• Limit saturated fat
• Choose foods low in salt
• Limit alcohol intake
• Consume only moderate amounts of sugar and foods containing added sugars
• Try and eat only according to your energy needs, i.e. the amount of energy you put in should equal the amount of energy you’re expending
• Not skip meals, especially breakfast
• Eat healthy snacks, e.g. cheese, yoghurt, vegetables, fruits, nuts, fruit muffins, wholegrain rolls or crispbreads

When selecting a meal plan, make sure you are consuming a balanced and complete diet. Your assignment is to set realistic and attainable diet goals. Start by following the simple guidelines below.

Nutritional and Diet Plan Guidelines

Commit to consuming 4 - 6 small meals and snacks everyday.

To succeed, you must plan ahead by packing your foods the night before. Thus, you should always have fresh and low-fat foods around.

Keep it simple. Don't get too caught up on the specifics or your diet. Start by simply just counting calories.

Eat your foods slower.

Make healthier food selections like fruits, vegetables, whole grain cereals, and beans, low-fat or nonfat dairy products, low fat meats, fish and skinless poultry.

Avoid foods that are high in fat and calories.

Avoid foods that are high in sugars such as pastries, chocolate bars, pies and lollies.

Use a variety of fruits and vegetables in your nutrition plan. Start by trying to eat 5 total vegetable and fruit servings every single day.

Taming Your Munchies

Before you tear open a 100 calorie pack of cookies, know this: despite its small size, these processed snacks can make you hungrier. They contain artificial sweeteners & research is linking these types of sugar with stimulating the appetite. Choose any one of these 100 calorie snacks instead.....1)1/2 an apple with 2tsp of peanut butter 2)10 unsalted almonds or cashews 3)1/2 a small avocado 4)7-grain Belgian waffle 5)2 cups of unbuttered popcorn 6)String of cheese with 4 whole-wheat crackers.

Nuts & avocados contain an unsaturated fatty acid called oleic acid that tells your brain: Stop eating, you're full!!

The Right Greens

Leafy dark greens like romaine lettuce & spinach not only commonly contain more cell-repairing phytonutrients than iceberg, their pale counterpart, but they also contain high amounts of energy-boosting B vitamins & lipoic acid. Spinach is also rich in glutamine, an amino acid shown to aid muscle strength. You can boost muscle strength even more by adding broccoli, which contains a potent phytochemical that can boost testosterone's anabolic(muscle increasing) effects. Toss in iron rich asparagus for fast-absorbing energy. And since water & fibre increase the volume of vegetables, you can eat more without going overboard on calories.

Water: Are you drinking enough?

Are you drinking enough? If you're not, you could end up with excess body fat, poor muscle tone, digestive complications, muscle soreness -- even water-retention problems.
Next to air, water is the element most necessary for survival. A normal adult is 60 to 70 percent water. We can go without food for almost two months, but without water only a few days. Yet most people have no idea how much water they should drink. In fact, many live in a dehydrated state.
Without water, we'd be poisoned to death by our own waste products. When the kidneys remove uric acid and urea, these must be dissolved in water. If there isn't enough water, wastes are not removed as effectively and may build up as kidney stones. Water also is vital for chemical reactions in digestion and metabolism. It carries nutrients and oxygen to the cells through the blood and helps to cool the body through perspiration. Water also lubricates our joints.
We even need water to breathe: our lungs must be moist to take in oxygen and excrete carbon dioxide.
Water retention? If you're not drinking enough, your body can retain fluid.
The recommended amount is about 8-10 glasses a day. Obviously more if you are exercising. But I try to drink a minimum of 4L a day. I find it helps with the appearance of my skin, my energy levels, it also helps with hunger as usually our body is telling us it is hungry, when really it needs water. Water is GREAT!!

 

Protein

PROTEIN is what makes up bodily tissues, like muscles, skin, hair, finger nails & organs. When you eat food containing protein, your digestive system breaks it down into smaller parts called amino acids. Amino acids are later used by the body to build & repair cells & tissues. There are two main sorces of protein:ANIMAL(meat, fish, poultry,eggs, cheese & milk) & VEGETABLE(grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, soy & vegies.) ANIMAL proteins are good sources of COMPLETE proteins. This means they contain enough amounts of all the essential amino acids. VEGETABLE proteins on the other hand are INCOMPLETE proteins as they are either missing or do not contain enough of, one or more of the essential amino acids. GELATINE is the only animal protein that is not considered a COMPLETE protein. To make sure your body gets all the essential amino acids, it is important to eat a wide variety of these protein-rich foods.
Also by combining the following vegetable proteins it makes a COMPLETE protein. So two INCOMPLETE proteins compensate for one another's shortfalls. GRAINS & LEGUMES(eg.peanut butter on whole-wheat bread, tofu-veg stir-fry on rice or pasta, bean soup & a grain roll.)
GRAINS & NUT/SEEDS(eg.whole-wheat bun with sesame seeds, rice cakes with peanut butter)
LEGUMES & NUTS/SEEDS(eg.trail mix-peanuts & sunflower seeds, humus-chickpeas & sesame paste)
But also adding small amounts of animal protein to any of the above groups, you create a COMPLETE protein.
Protein cannot be stored and needs to be replenished daily. Muscle wasting can occur if protein intake is inadequate as it may be needed for more important body functions. However, most people eat more than they need in terms of protein. Some strength athletes believe that the more material you supply the body the more it will build. That is not true. The body will only use the precise amount of protein it needs. The rest will be excreted in the urine and excess amount may even cause liver and kidney strain. It can also cause an increase in calcium loss in the urine as well as dehydration.
The most concentrated sources of protein come from flesh sources like beef, chicken, turkey and fish. High protein diets should be avoided, especially from animal sources as they are usually high in fat, cholesterol and linked to early disease and death. Better sources are egg whites, legumes like beans, soy products, and grains. Poultry, fish and low fat dairy products should be used as optional protein sources.

Breakfast is a must!

It has been said many times, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. After a long period without eating your blood sugar levels will be low. Skipping breakfast can mean your body will start to crave something sweet and you'll end up snacking on unhealthy foods.

Start the day with a filling and nutritious meal and you will give your metabolism a kick start. You'll feel full until lunch time with no temptation to snack your way through the morning. Some studies have also shown that eating breakfast (high carbohydrate/low fat) can make you more alert and assertive to face the day.

Get In the Habit
Overcome the reasons not to have breakfast and make it part of your day. If you're too busy in the morning, prepare as much as you can the night before. If you can't stomach anything first thing try just a glass of pure, unsweetened fruit juice, a banana, yoghurt or slice of toast. Get into the habit of trying different dishes at breakfast and enjoy it!

Breakfast Cereals
Go for a low-calorie muesli (no added sugar or salt) or a high fibre cereal - such as Weetbix or Shredded Wheat with semi skimmed or skimmed milk. Add some fresh fruit - a sliced banana or dried apricots - to add natural sweetness and help you resist the sugar. (They also count towards your daily fruit and vegetable quota). Oats is also a great breakfast food. Try not to go for the quick oat version though. Sweeten with natural honey.

Fresh Fruit Salad
Fresh fruit salad will provide a slow release of energy to get you through until lunchtime and also give you a healthy top up of vitamins and minerals. This healthy choice will motivate you to make healthy choices throughout the day. Peel and slice a few of your favourite fruits, top with a dollop of natural bio-yoghurt and enjoy with a slice of bread and honey. Alternatively, if you've got a blender, pop the peeled and cored fruit in with the yoghurt and teaspoon of honey and make a delicious fresh smoothie.

Egg and Soldiers
Egg and soldiers isn't all bad. Eggs are an excellent and compact source of nutrients, are relatively low in calories (75kcals each if boiled / poached) and contain very little saturated fat. Use wholemeal bread for the "soldiers" and resist the butter / spread. Eat with a glass of freshnfruit or vegetable juice.

Why Raw?

I would like to share with you the following article from a good friend of mine. Her son was recently diagnosed with type1 diabetes. Through lots of dedication & following only a raw diet it looks as though she has changed her sons condition. She is an inspiration to us all. Well done Candice! For more info on living raw please join her group-SUNNY COAST RAW.
Post #1 Candice Lloyd wrote on February 21, 2010 at 2:03am

My 12 year old son and I have been on raw foods only now for 9 weeks as a way of dealing with his type 1 diabetes. I thought that the journey would be harder than it has been, but I am happy to say that - despite it being a lot of work in the kitchen to make things really delicious - it has been relatively easy for us to make the switch. And things are starting to get even easier - I now have a plan for the raw school week, making up raw breads, pestos and salad dressings on the sunday afternoon so that there are plenty of goodies in stock for the munchies when they hit. I now know where to get organic nuts and seeds in bulk, and what grocer will get their kale delivery on what day! After 3 weeks on raw, we were able to reduce his insulin from 45 units a day to zero. He has not taken insulin now for 6 weeks, and is having blood sugar levels below 7 most of the time and waking up between 5 - 6.
The best part for me is not needing to stress about the hypos, he can go surfing again and I can actually relax on the beach instead of stressing that he will probably pass out and drown! Of course, there is the possibility the he is in the 'honeymoon phase' (where the body regains some insulin production capacity temporarily) and that it wont last - but we tend to think (and hope) not, after all he certainly wasnt honeymooning before we started raw - and apparently the honeymoon period is far less common, and of less duration, for most young onset diabetics than for those who are diagnosed later in life. Right now though, raw foods are working very well for us, we are clear minded, filled with energy and feeling great! In three weeks we will see the endocrinologist and see what he has to say about our approach - here's hoping that he is open minded!

Great 'free guide to raw' available to download from Raw Pleasure - Free Guide to Raw

Benefits of Soaking Nuts

Nature has set it up so that the nut, grain and seed may survive until proper growing conditions are present. Nature’s defense mechanism includes nutritional inhibitors and toxic substances that can be removed naturally when there is enough precipitation to sustain a new plant after the nut, grain or seed germinates. When it rains the nut, grain or seed gets wet and can then germinate to produce a plant. So we are mimicking nature when we soak our nuts, grains and seeds.

Nutritional inhibitors and toxic substances found in nuts grains and seed can be minimized or eliminated by soaking. These inhibitors and toxic substances are enzyme inhibitors, phytates (phytic acid), polyphenols (tannins), and goitrogens.

What are Enzyme inhibitors?
There are digestive enzymes and metabolic enzymes. Digestive enzymes help break down food. Metabolic enzymes help every biological process the body does. Enzyme inhibitors will clog, warp or denature an active site of an enzyme. They may also bind to the enzyme, which will prevent the intended molecule from binding. “Once again, the habits of traditional peoples should serve as a guide. They understood instinctively that nuts are best soaked or partially sprouted before eaten. This is because nuts contain numerous enzyme inhibitors that can put a real strain on the digestive mechanism if consumed in excess.”

What are Phytates?
“All grains contain phytic acid in the outer layer or bran. Untreated phytic acid can combine with calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and especially zinc in the intestinal tract and block their absorption. This is why a diet high in unfermented whole grains may lead to serious mineral deficiencies and bone loss. The modern misguided practice of consuming large amounts of unprocessed bran often improves colon transit time at first but may lead to irritable bowel syndrome and, in the long term, many other adverse effects.”

Why soak nuts, grains and seeds?

* 1. To remove or reduce phytic acid.
* 2. To remove or reduce tannins.
* 3. To neutralize the enzyme inhibitors.
* 4. To encourage the production of beneficial enzymes.
* 5. To increase the amounts of vitamins, especially B vitamins.
* 6. To break down gluten and make digestion easier.
* 7. To make the proteins more readily available for absorption.
* 8. To prevent mineral deficiencies and bone loss.
* 9. To help neutralize toxins in the colon and keep the colon clean.
* 10. To prevent many health diseases and conditions.

“Soaking allows enzymes, lactobacilli and other helpful organisms to break down and neutralize a large portion of phytic acid in grains. Soaking in warm water also neutralizes enzyme inhibitors, present in all seeds, and encourages the production of numerous beneficial enzymes. The action of these enzymes also increases the amount of many vitamins, especially B vitamins. During the process of soaking and fermenting, gluten and other difficult-to-digest proteins are partially broken down into simpler components that are more readily available for absorption

Why Is Healthy Eating & Exercising Important?

Most medical authorities utilize the BMI (body mass index) as a means to determine if a person may be at risk for heart disease and diabetes, as well as overweight. However according to the Archives of Internal Medicine, a quarter of even normal weight adults had high blood pressure and high triglycerides, and high blood glucose blood work-ups, putting them at risk for cardiovascular disease and metabolic disease.

So what’s the take home message here? Just because you are within a normal weight range doesn’t mean you will automatically be and remain healthy. You still have to have healthy eating habits, exercise regularly and maintain a healthy lifestyle to keep from getting common diseases. You may have a family history or even your ethnicity may put you at risk for any given health condition.

 

Why Eat Slow?

Perhaps you've heard that eating more slowly can help with weight loss. Here's why: When food enters digestive tract, hormones are released by the gut. These hormones signal the brain that we are full. But this process takes time. When you eat too quickly, by the time your brain gets the signal that you are satisfied, you've eaten way more calories than you actually need. Excess calories lead to weight gain.
Eating more slowly can allow you to reduce your caloric intake but still leave the table feeling satisfied. It can be hard to slow down in such a fast paced society, but here are some tips to help you slow down:

Don't eat in front of the TV, computer, or while reading

Set up an environment where you feel relaxed while eating

Put your fork down between bites

Chew your food completely

Don't eat in the car or on the run

Healthy Snacks

Choose snacks carefully. Plan ahead and make sure your fridge and cupboards and drawer at work are stocked with plenty of healthy snacks so that you are not tempted by less healthy options.

Which snacks should I avoid?
Limit sugary salty, snack foods such as crisps, cakes, pastries, biscuits, sweets and chocolate to once a week.

Limit take-away foods such as pastries, pizza, fried fish, hamburgers, hot chips and creamy pasta dishes to once a week. Healthier take-away choices include sushi or sashimi, Asian stir-fries (ask for low salt), tomato based pasta dishes, grilled fish, chicken and lean meat.

Feel like……............................................Try instead

Sweets------------------------------------------- Fresh or dried fruit
Crisps and dips----------------------------------Toast, rice cakes or breadsticks
Roasted salted nuts----------------------------Plain unsalted nuts
Sugar coated cereal----------------------------Wholegrain breakfast cereals
Chocolate biscuits------------------------------ Plain biscuits
Full fat yoghurt----------------------------------Reduced, low or no fat yogurt
Cupcake------------------------------------------A slice of raisin toast
Ham and cheese sandwich---------------------Boiled egg

Healthy Tip:
Keep biscuits, cakes, chocolate and crisps as a treat rather than a regular part of your diet and choose lower fat options. Avoid giant sized cookies and muffins or share them with a friend!

One of the easiest and tastiest ways to stay healthy is to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables.(Plus they are one of the easiest & fastest foods to snack on) Aim to eat a variety of at least 5 serves of vegetables and 2 serves of fruit every day. Fruit and vegetables contain lots of fibre, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

PRE-WORKOUT SNACKS

The purpose of a pre-workout snack is to:
Help prevent a low blood sugar which can wreck havoc on your energy level resulting in light-headedness and loss of concentration.
Top up your muscle and liver carbohydrate stores to provide lasting energy for the duration of your workout, and
Prevent hunger during your workout
Here are some snacks that pack a punch to keep you energized throughout your workout:

A small bowl of cereal with a banana
3/4 cup of yogurt with 1/2 cup berries
1 bagel with non-hydrogenate peanut butter
1/2 cup trail mix
An English muffin with nut butter and honey
A smoothie made with milk or juice, fresh or frozen fruit, and wheat germ or flaxmeal

Pre-workout Snack Guidelines
Food preferences for pre-workout snacks will vary depending on the individual, type of exercise and level of intensity. For example, endurance athletes can often eat more during a long slow cycle when their heart rate is lower, than while running or training at a higher heart rate. Experiment with the following guidelines to help determine an appropriate snack for you. Choose a snack that:
Contains a sufficient amount of fluid to maintain hydration.
Is low in fat and fiber to facilitate gastric emptying and minimize GI distress.
Is high in carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables, whole-grain bread, rice, pasta, and cereals to maintain blood glucose levels, and maximize carbohydrate stores.
Contains some protein for staying power throughout your workout.
Is low in simple sugars such as candy. They can send your blood sugar level shooting down, leading to a severe drop in energy.
The more time you allow between eating and exercise, the larger the quantity of food you will be able to eat. Allow more digestion time before intense exercise than before low-level activity. Your muscles require more blood during intense exercise, and therefore less blood will be available to your stomach to help with digestion. If you have a finicky stomach, try a liquid snack prior to your workout. Liquid snacks such as smoothies or sports drinks tend to leave the stomach faster than solid foods do and will be easier to digest. Choosing the appropriate snacks will be dependant on the individual. Some people have a tough time digesting anything solid prior to a workout while and others can munch on an energy bar during intense activity such as running.

 

Post-Workout Snacks

Eating properly after a workout is important to building lean muscle mass as well as aid in quickly repairing muscles. While working out, the body depletes its source of glycogen. Not replenishing your body of this will likely cause fatigue and poor performance during the next work out session.
Eating a snack that is a combination of carbohydrates and protein is the ideal post workout snack. To achieve optimum benefits from a post work out snack, the snack should be consumed 30 minutes post workout and another meal should be eaten about 2 hours after the snack. Choosing snacks that are low in sugar is also important.

-Protein Shake. I know this one is a bit obvious but a whey protein shake is packed full of protein , low in fat, and carbs and really helps to get your muscle repair going. For an extra boost of flavor, think about adding your favorite fruit or some peanut butter. A great combo is ½ banana with 1 tbs peanut butter and chocolate whey.
-Grilled Chicken Breast
-Omelet. This goes for people that have time to get home right after the gym to put together an omelet. Eggs are loaded with protein and then the veggies you add will be packed full of vitamins and nutrients. Use egg whites to avoid the negative cholesterol of the yolk.
-Yogurt Parfait. Grab so low fat vanilla or plain yogurt, some cut up fruit, and granola. Start with a layer of fruit followed by a layer of yogurt, then a layer of granola. Keep this pattern going till your are pleased with the size. Yogurt is also great source of healthy bacterial that can help with infections and your digestive stomach.
-Apple and 2 tbsp peanut butter
-Whole grain bagel or pita with hummus, the combination of the whole grains and the hummus will pack you full of recovery nutrients.
-Oatmeal. It is loaded with protein, refuels the carbs, and a good source of fiber.
-Almonds. Talk about a snack high if protein, unsaturated fats, antioxidants and vitamins.
-Cottage cheese and fruit. Great source of calcium, vitamin D and protein but low in carbs and fat. This is a great snack for women and its taste amazing.