Diet & Nutrition

Creatine pronounced (Kre’ah-tin) is becoming increasingly popular in the health and fitness supplements market. No doubt you’ve heard of it but it’s unlikely that initially you’ll have any idea of what it is or why it could help you achieve more and reach your goals.

Using protein supplements is often seen only necessary for males or those looking to gain huge bulk in muscle. However this is untrue as we all require protein in varying amounts depending on the demands we put on the body. Often the amount of protein our bodies require from training is more than what we can provide in our everyday diet. To enable full recovery of our muscle and maximize muscle growth that will tone and define, protein supplements might well be the answer. Here is a quick guide to protein for women.

If you have been on a diet or if you are on one now, trying to eat healthy of just lose want to lose a few pounds then more than likely you have heard someone say ‘don’t eat late at night’. This could be true for most of us, however it is important to take into context of the individual concerned. The important factor here is when you normally go to sleep and for most of us the following statement will largely be true. If you work daylight hours, going to bed and waking at what most would consider a normal time then eating & snacking past 7pm is a horrible idea, especially if you are trying to manage your weight.

You know this right!? well’ here is why!

Eating breakfast is nothing new, I’m sure you have heard it all before, it’s likely someone has told you “you really should eat breakfast if you want to lose weight” a smart person they are too. The advice is often not received and I am baffled as to why? It makes no sense not to eat breakfast, well perhaps it’s knowledge that is the problem so let me help fill that gap and hopefully make some better decisions with your diet & nutrition.

Each year over the Christmas period the average person will gain 2kg and really it should be no big surprise. We are eating more and doing less, science will tell you if you don’t burn as much as you intake, you’ll be in a calorie positive state and this will lead to weight gain, easy to put on, not so easy to shift. 

Most of us are lucky enough to have a break from work over the Christmas period, this historically is also one of the least busiest times of the year for gyms and fitness facilities so it’s clear were not spending this extra time at the gym. Therefore we need to manage the positive calorie balance, this can be achieved through increased activity and more awareness about portion sizes and food choices.

Diet & healthy eating is a hugely confusing area with every book you read contradicting the last one, ditch all carbs, only eat protein or starve yourself 2 days a week. Nearly all complete rubbish, so why do we go for it? Because it’s easier than hard work! When people want to lose weight they pick up the latest diet book, there is a huge market for this stuff and no shortage of so called experts explain their latest diet. In this blog post, I’ll cover one of the most basic weight loss tools which is ‘actually eating’ and often.

My view on diet is that no one needs to go on a diet, unless morbidly obese in which case a massive calorie reduction diet designed by a qualified nutritionist is required. Therefore for the rest of us all we have to do is eat healthy, eat balanced portions and eat often, that’s it!

I know what your thinking! Orange Juice! Bad for me? Well, all in moderation however, it’s certainly something I don’t drink, it’s awfully sweet with a lot of sugar which is why people drink it like water!

“It’s OK, I drink 100% Orange Juice!” Wrong! This is still full of sugar and it’s not pure. The one thing we need to learn about diet is that if it’s processed it’s not going to be a healthy choice to sustain a long term healthy lifestyle. Orange juice is seen as the healthy option compared to other soft drinks but the truth is, it’s just as bad as the rest. The worst thing about Orange Juice is the combination of the consumers lack of knowledge about food labelling and the manufactures overwhelming desire to ensure you believe their drink is good for you. While keeping to the ‘legal’ food labeling guidelines, it’s still going to confuse you and look like a good choice by looking at the label.

Most Orange Juices will show No Fat & a bunch of Vitamin C! Good right! Well lets look at a popular Orange Juice Drink label

Don’t fall into temptation when trying to adjust your eating habits, you can only eat what you have in the house, if you don’t buy it, you can’t eat it! 

Eating habits start with your grocery shopping! Reducing & maintaining weight is about changing your habits, this includes buying your food, food choices, when you eat, how much & how often.