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Nutrition and Diet

Related bits & bobs:
Recipes
Binging
The Truth about Carbs
Emotional Eating
Calorie Counting
Green Tea
Food Journals
Eating Out
Smoothies

The first thing to say here, is I am not a nutritionist. I can give dietry advice to the best knowledge, but this isn't certified. The best way to do this is break it down into catagories of meals and snacks.

My general rule for eating that I try to stick to is something my mum once told me: "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a queen, and dinner like a pauper." Basically, eat more on a morning. Your body turns the food into energy during the day. but really, it all depends on your individual lifestyle. For some people it's not conveniant to eat a lot on a morning. So just do what works for you.

Breakfast

      Breakfast should ALWAYS be eaten. Always. It's so important for speeding up your metabolism and making sure you're not tempted to snack later on on anything unhealthy. I cannot stand these people who say "I don't have time for breakfast". Who doesn't have time to grab a cereal bar and an apple from the cupboard and have a glass of water? That isn't exactly an ideal breakfast, but if the cereal bar is low sugar, wholegrain, and contains nuts/seeds/dried fruit, then you're good. And a peice of fruit, especially an apple, is easy to eat on the go.

Ideally, your breakfasts should be a little more substantial. My personal favourite for breakfasts is oatmeal. I buy Nature's Path oatmeal (www.naturespath.com or www.goodnessdirect.co.uk if you're a UKer), because they come in sachets, meaning your portion is there for you and is the same every time, you won't be tempted to make more, and it's already sweetend with added fruit and/or nuts so you don't need to add a thing. oatmeal is fantastic, because it feels you up, and is a slow energy releasing food, so you won't feel hungry after an hour.

A general rule for breakfast is to stick to either wholegrain cereal (with semi skimmed milk and just a handful of cereal)whoelgrain fruit and nut muesli (5 tsps muesli with a little semi skimmed milk) or 2 slices of wholegrain toast with a piece of fruit. As for what to put onto your toast, low fat peanut butter (1 level tsp per slice) low fat cheese spread (1 level tsp per slice) or low fat margerine spread. Then a peice of fruit - apple, orange, handful grapes, raspberries etc. perosnally, I always think it;s best to have either a glass of water or green tea with breakfast. But more about green tea later ;)

Click here for Breakfast ideas.

Lunch & Dinner 

  I'm putting these two together as they're basically the same thing, though I will write a little more on dinner if you eat dinner at home with parents later on.

When it comes to choosing food for lunch and dinner, it's common sense really. All these and more are great choices:

  Salad: Salads don't have to be boring. There are 4 basic principles to a salad - lettuce for the main part, then either wholegrain pasta, or some sort of meat or fish (grilled chicken, turkey, tuna, salmon, cod, prawns etc) and then extra to make the salad more "colourful". This could be cucumber, other greens (like spinach, rocket, watercress) shredded carrot, peppers, leefs, sping onions, raddish... etc. Then there's the dressing. This is where people can fall down on salads. They add tons of croutons, cheese, bacon bits, and mayo. Basically they dump a ton of fat on the salad. Not good. I mean, its okay to have a tsk of low fat cheese, bacon bits, or croutons. But not a lot. And not all together. Mayo is okay, but just a tsp, and make it low fat. Other good dressings are vinaigerette, lemon juice with olive oil, low fat seafood sauce.. just be smart about it and use it sparingly. Be creative, mix herbs in there too.

  Pasta salad: Same principle as above, just use a little bit less lettuce, little bit more pasta.

  Fruit salad: pretty simple, chop up a load of fruit in a bowl and eat it!

  Soups: Soup is a great meal. It fills you up, and so long as you choose wisely, great for you. Get soup made from veggies, and avoid creamy soups. That's the best an only advice you need, really. Creamy soups generally have cream in, which is full of fat. Not good. Clear soups are the best, with vegetables, muchrooms, chicken etc. Tomato soup is also great as long as theirs no cream. Soup is incredibly easy to make at home, too. I'll post some recipes soon. Accompany your soup with a couple of rye crackers, or a small wholemeal rool, or a slice dry of wholegrain toast if you want.

  Sandwhiches: Great for taking to school. Always use wholemeal bread, and don't use margerine if you don't need to. Great sandwhich fillers are any salad-type things with chicken or turkey, or tuna. You can get those chicken slices from your local grocery place which are good, as long as you don;'t get cheap crappy kinds that contain salts.

  Veg & Protein: A basic for any dinner. A piece of protein (grilled chicken, turkey, salmon, cod, tuna steak etc) and vegetables. A side of brown rice or baby potatos if you wish. Easy and filling.

Frozen meals: You always hear bad things about frozen meals, but they don't have to be avoidable. These days most supermarkets have a healthy eating range (I live in the UK and Asda have the Good For You range, Asda is basically the UK branch of Walmart, it's owned by Walmart, so anybody with a Walmart nearby might be able to get a similar range) Basically, frozen meals ARE okay, as long as they advertise they have no added preservatives. The range I use has a meal that contains a salmon fillet, baby potatos, green beans and spinach. All cooked by steam cooking in the microwave, and it has 263 calories. Another is chilli con carne, which has 250 calories.

Click here for recipes

Snacks

Snacks should be varied, and you need no more than 2 or 3 a day (one mind morning, one mid afternoon, and maybe one in the evening) A lot of people think snacking is a bad thing when it comes to being healthy, but it's actually the best thing for you. As long as meals are kept at a reasonable portion, there's no reason for why you can't snack. It actually helps metabolism as it keeps you going. I tend to have 3 or 4 a day in the morning to keep me going, but 2 or 3 is about right. Some basic snack ideas:

Fruits, such as strawberries, raspberries, an apple, orange, 1 inch thick slice of watermelon, blueberries, grapes... etc, you know what fruit is ;)

Carrot or cucumber sticks dipped in low fat hummus

1 Rye cracker with low fat spread and a piece of fruit

Low fat yoghurt

Bowl of salad leaves and a couple of crab sticks

Raw vegetables

Probiotic yoghurt drink

Steamveg puches (can buy in the store, a bag of frozen veg you pop in the micorwave for 3 mins)

Carrot or tomato juice

Protein shakes

Handful of dried fruit

Handful of raw nuts

Granola/cereal bars

All good ideas and more.

Desserts

Everyone loves dessert, never deprive yourself. Just pick wisely. I always have dessert, with every single lunch and dinner I have. But it's usually a piece of fruit, a low fat yoghurt, raspberries and yoghurt, or low fat chocolate mousse. Just look around when you go grocery shopping and make wise choices. Treat yourself, too. Don't completly deprive your of the foods you love, don't make restrictions. It's about moderation, treat yourself a little maybe once or twice a week.

For an example, on an average day (I've picked today), I'd eat:

Breakfast 6am: Nature's Path Blueberry and Flax seed oatmeal

Snack 8am: Actimel probiotic drink

Snack 9am: Handful raspberries

Snack 10am: Steamveg pouch with carrot, broccoli, and sweetcorn

Snack 11am: 1 tsp granola with strawberry yoghurt

Lunch 1pm: Steamed salmon fillet with steamed babypotatos, spinach, and green beans. Chocolate mousse for dessert.

Dinner: Tuna and pasta salad with peppers and sweetcorn, chocolate mousse for dessert and a side salald of lettuce and tomatos. Chocolate mousse for dessert.

Evening snack (after exercise) protein shake.

To lose weight, I would take out two of the morning snacks, and maybe take off a dessert.

There we go. The bare basics of healthy eating. More to come about portion control, recipes, and food groups.

Superfoods

Basically, they're good stuff. I know this mentions antioxidents a lot and good fats, I'll be going into more detail about those soon. You hear them mentioned so much in dietry info, but most people don't know what they're about. You will soon when I've got time to write about them :) Read on!

Apples
Every apple cotnains 5g of fibre (essential in your diet, especially for weight loss) and is packed with antioxidents.

Berries
Blueberries, cranberries, blackberries, raspberries or strawberries.. whatever, they'r epacked with nutrients, especially vitamin C. Plus, they taste so good you feel like you're eating them as a treat. Berries contain antioxidant compounds called that reduce free-radicals in the body, which may help to slow the aging process. Not that we need to worry about that yet, but they can definitly improve skin tone.

Cinnamon
Cinnamon helps lower blood sugar , as well as reduce cholesterol. It's also been used in studies which suggest it can help boost metabolism. Just make sure you don't get your cinnamon from havign a giant pastry ;) Maybe have a teaspoon ever other day, or mix in a tea.

Citrus Fruits
Citrus fruits, such as oranges, grapefruits and tangerines are full of powerful antioxidants. Sweet, juicy and versatile, citrus fruits are high in vitamin C, folic acid and potassium.

Cruciferous vegetables
Basically, crispy, leafy green veg ;) broccoli, kale, cabbage and Brussels sprouts all come under this. Cruciferous vegetables not only taste great steamed and sautéed, they are also a good source of dietary fibre and complex carbs. They're also rich in vitamin B, which is a great weight loss vitamin.

Eggs
Eggs (especially egg whites) provide an excellent and cheap source of high-quality protein. Eggs are not only low in carbohydrates and sodium, but low in fat too, and keep you full.

Green foods
Wheat grass, spirulina, chlorella and barley grass add are reasonably new to the mainstream dietry market. They're very concentrated,powerful supplements and are rich in protein, chlorophyll, vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids. I've only ever tried wheatgrass before, a wheatgrass shot. I took a shot everyday for 3 weeks, and also coupled it with daily 30min jogs and general healthy eating, and lost 5lbs. I ate healthily and jogged before and was maintaining my weight, the only thing I changed was taking the shots. So definitly a good one. You can buy wheatgrass in pill form.

Herbs and spices
Apparently common herbs and spices, such as sage and rosemary, are rich in antioxidants and may support healthy digestive function and the nervous system.

Honey
Full of B vitamins, amino acids and enzymes, honey is great tasting and a great substitute for refined sugars. Enjoy 1 tsp in tea or with oatmeal, yoghurt, or over muesli/cereal.

Kiwi
One kiwifruit packs as much vitamin C as an orange. Vitamin C is awesome for your skin.

Legumes (beans)
Beans and lentils, members of the legume family, are an excellent source of low-fat plant protein. Great if you're vegetarian, too. Taste great in soups and salads. A serving of legumes (beans or lentils) provides at least four grams of soluble fiber. Bare in mind when I say beans, I'm not talking about the beans in a can with tomato sauce! The sauce in those things is really high in sugar and salts. Drain them first.

Nuts & seeds
Roasted, toasted or raw, nuts and seeds are a delicious source of protein and fibre. A great snack, nuts and seeds are filled with heart-healthy monosaturated oils, vitamins and minerals. They're also a source of "good fats". More on good fats later and why we need them ;) AStudies suggest that eating one and a half ounces per day of most nuts, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease.

Oats
Oatmeal provides a good source of complex carbohydrates. Soluble fibe from foods, such as oats, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease. A half-cup serving of oats supplies about nine grams of fibre. Which is a bloody lot of fibre.

olives & olive oil
A good source of "good fats", adding two tablespoons of olive oil per day to your diet will support cardiovascular health.

Omega-3 fish
The fish oils in cold-water fish like salmon, tuna and trout contain omega-3 fatty acids. Again, this comes under our "good fats" - more later!

Orange veggies
Bright orange vegetables, such as pumpkins, butternut squash, sweet potatoes and carrots contain high levels of beta-carotene. A beneficial nutrient found in fruits and vegetables, beta-carotene is basically vitamin A, giving the body an antioxidant boost. Cooking vegetables also makes the nutrients easier to absorb.

Pomegranates
Rich in powerful antioxidants an eight-ounce serving of pomegranate juice daily may support normal levels of cholesterol and healthy coronary artery function.

Soy
Aapparently, adding 25 grams of soy protein each day, to a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease. Versatile and delicious, soy is found tofu, tempeh, miso, edamame and soymilk.

Tea
Teas are awesome. FULL of amazing antioxidents, no calories, and boost your metabolism. Great.

Tomatoes
Naturally great tasting and full of nutrients, tomatoes contain an abundance of lycopene, a health-promoting plant pigment. Lycopene not only gives tomatoes their colour, it also helps support immune function. Cooked tomatoes found in pasta sauce, salsa and tomato paste enhance the absorption of lycopene into your system.

Turkey
I friggen love turkey. Like chicken, but lower in fat, turkey breast is an excellent protein choice. Juicy, delicious and rich in zinc, turkey is great in soups, salads and sandwiches.

Whole grains
Rich in complex carbs, whole grains add beneficial fibre, vitamins and minerals to your diet. Packed with nutrition, the germ or "heart" of the kernel adds essential B-vitamins, iron and zinc to your food. Also easily absorbed than nasty white carbs.

Yogurt

Yoghurt tastes gorgeous, is rich in protein, and if you choose right, low fat. Also, if you choose right, high in probiotics which are great for beating that bloated feeling.

 

Good fats & Bad Fats

Some of this has been Googled as I didn't know how to word it, and all of the sciency bits behind good fats. But, enjoy.

Your body creates some important substances out of fats and uses fat to transport vitamins. So think of fats as building bricks. The better the bricks, the stronger the building. If there are only broken or damaged bricks available, the contractor will use them, but the house won't be as strong and eventually there will be problems.

Good fats are the naturally-occurring, traditional fats that haven't been damaged by high heat, refining, processing or other man-made tampering such as 'partial hydrogenation'. The best of these kinds of fats are found in fish, nuts, avocados, seeds, and olives/olive oil.

Getting essential and "good fats" in our diet also help maintain and acheive a healthy weight. They prevent your body going into "starvation mode" (when your body is not eating enough or getting enough nutrients, so it clings onto fat store din your body for energy.., usually leaving you with a nice flabby belly) and also help burn body fat per the above.

Good fats:

In brackets is the serving size, aim for 1-2 portions of these a day

Avacado (1)
Oil (canola, olive, peanut, sesame) (1 tsp)
Olives (2 tsps)
Almonds (1 tsp
Cashews (1 tsp
Hazlenuts (1 tsp)
Macadamia nuts (1 tsp)
Peanuts (1 tsp)
Pecans (1 tsp)
Pistachios (1tsp)
Peanut Butter (1 tsp)
Sesame seeds (1 tsp)
Flax seeds (1 tsp)
All shellfish (100g)
Prawns (100g)
Tuna (1 fillet, usually about the size of your palm, not inc fingers)
Herring (1 fillet, usually about the size of your palm, not inc fingers)
Salmon (1 fillet, usually about the size of your palm, not inc fingers)
Mackerel (1 fillet, usually about the size of your palm, not inc fingers)


Bad fats:

Just a few of the bad fats to avoid.. though it's common sense really.

Bacon & Bacon grease
Butter (stick, whipped, reduced-fat)
Coconut
Cream & half-and-half
Cream cheese
Ice cream
Lard & salt pork
Palm & palm kernel oil
Saturated and Hydrogenated fats
Anything fried

 

Antioxidants

Antioxidants are nutrients (vitamins and minerals) as well as enzymes (proteins in your body that assist in chemical reactions). Essentially, they are substances that reduce, neutralize, and prevent the damage done to the body by free radicals. Free radicals are simply electrons that are no longer attached to atoms. Instead of circling the nucleus of an atom (much like the earth circles the sun), free radicals are both free and radical enough to go careening through our cells, inflicting damage as they go.

Basically, free radicals = bad. That's all you need to know. Antioxidants = fighters of bad stuff in body.

But essentially, antioxidants are minerals and nutrients found in certain foods that help your body function better and help your body use fat as energy. Aka, burn the stuff off. Thus.. boosting metabolism! That;s the sciencyish bit.. basically, what I'm saying, is try eat more of this stuff, and possibly replace some of the bad stuff you eat with some of this good stuff:

Onions
Garlic
Leeks
Chives
Tomatos
Carrots
Watermelon
Kale
Spinach
Grapes
Blueberries
Strawberries
Cherries
Apples
Grapefruit
Cranberries
Raspberries
Blackberries
Leafy green veggies
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Brussel sprouts
Bok Choy
Peas
Soybeans
Lentils
Seeds (flax and sunflower)
Citruis fruit peels
Wholegrains
Tea