Bircher Muesli

1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup pear juice
1/2 lemon juiced
1 cup of grated pear or apple
1 cup low fat yohurt - I used Gippslands' family yohurt

Mix the oats and almonds in a bowl and stir through the juice, lemon juice and grated fruit.  Gradually mix in the yohurt until the mixture is quite sloppy.

Cover and leave overnight in the fridge

Add more yohurt in the morning if the mixture is too thick

serve with berries

Makes 4 servings

Christmas Eating

Enjoy Christmas and simply make good choices most of the time - fill up first with the healthy foods then indulge in your favourite christmas food so that you are less likely to over eat!

Continue your regular exercise routine  and you should be able to maintain your weight through this holiday period.

How much sugar?

Foods that contain fruit are the exception when reading the nutritional information panel on the packaging

- no more than 25g per 100g

compared to the general rule where you should  aim for foods with no more than 15g per 100g - ideally look for foods with 5g or less per 100g. (Beware of those coffee sachets!)

Better still eat mostly whole foods than you don't have too many labels to read!

More shake ideas

1 cup cold water or milk
2 celery sticks
1 carrot chopped
1 serve spiralina or wheat grass
1 serve protein powder
2 tablsp flaxseed oil



1 cup cold water or oat milk
1/2 cup chopped apple
1 serve protein powder
1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese
1 tablsp flaxseeds
1/2 cup of raw oats
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon


1 cup skim milk
1 serve protein powder
1/2 cup mango pieces
squeeze of lemon
1 tablsp flaxseed


1 cup of skim milk
1 serve of choc protein
2 tspn instant coffee
1 tablsp flaxseed
sprinkle of nutmeg before serving


Remember to all these recipes add more nutrition by adding some greens (as discussed at the nutritional talk)

Yummy Muffins

Replace the milk and butter in any recipe with natural yohurt and olive oil or macadamia oil for a great healthy alternative

Healthy Dips

Combine a can of white or butter beans with lemon juice, a little olive oil and fresh herbs.  Whiz in a blender for a delicious creamy bean dip.

Do the same with a can of chickpeas and a clove of garlic for homemade hommus.

For a cheesy dip - mix together 2 tablespoons crumbled feta, 1/2 cup cottage cheese and a tablespoon grated parmesan.


Cottage cheese is made from skim milk so is naturally a low-fate cheese.

Green Power Smoothie

1 pear
1 banana
1 heaped teaspoon goji berries
10 almonds
1 teaspoon flaxseeds
1-2 teaspoon cereal grass (such as supergreens - green barley - wheatgrass- alfalfa powder) OPTIONAL
water - enough to blend to your desired consistency

Add all ingredients to a blender, combine and enjoy

If you don't want to purchase cereal grass powder - perhaps add spinach or sprouts for a nutritional green addition.

Omega 3

There are two types of Omega 3 fatty acids - those found in fish and seafood (DHA, EPA) and a plant type of omega 3 (ALA)

Oily fish, white fish, shellfish
Lean beef, lamb, kangaroo
Canola oil
Mustard seed oil
Linseed, walnuts, wheatgerm

Essential fatty acids are not made in the body, so we have to eat them.

Wonderful for your heart and blood.  It keeps your bloo free-flowing, lowers your blood pressure, lowers triglycerides, steads the beat of your heart and makes your arteries more "elastic" so they flex in and out under pressure.  They also have antiflammatory properties and also a crucial part of the cells in the brain and eyes.

Steps to balance your Omega 3 intake

• eat fish 2 - 3 times a week - fresh, frozen or tinned
• cut out saturated fats from butter, cream, cheese, deli meats and fast foods as saturated fats interfere with the biochemistry of Omega 3
• use canola, olive or flaxseed oil.  (can not heat flaxseed oil)
• eat large serves of green vegetables
• add walnuts, pecans and linseeds to your meals ( again sprinkle linseeds on last as the heat destroys the oil - linseeds are also call flaxseeds)

Note - flaxseeds need to be stored in a sealed container in a cool place as they go rancid quickly.
Do not eat flaxseeds fi you have irritable bowel syndrome due to their high fibre levels

It's important to have a balance of Omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids

Omega 6 sources include 

sunflower oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil
soybean oil, grapeseed oil
pine nuts, brazil nuts
sesame seeds, sesame oil

Super Foods

These are foods that are crammed with plant-based nutrients, vitamins, minerals,aid digestion, protect cells, boost your immune system and fight off free radicals.

• Cocoa - it contains flavonoids that fight free radical damage.  Supports healthy blood pressure and improves blood flow.  So a couple of squares of dark chocolate daily is good!
• Pomegranate - loaded with antioxidants - three times the amount in green tea and red wine - Vit C
• Goji berries - rich source of Vit C - up to 500 times more than oranges.  Contain antioxidant ntrients betacarotene and zeaxanthin, important for eye health.
• Beetroot - excellent source of heart healthy folate, manganese, potassium along with fibre, vit C, copper, bone healthy magnesium and energy producing iron.
• Quinoa - pronounce keen-wa - a gluten free wholegrain that is high in protein and rich in lysine, manganese, copper, B vitamins, zinc, vit E and selenium
• Blueberries -packed with nutritious antioxidants and very low in calories.
• Garlic - a reputation from preventing anything from the common cold to flu to the plague!  Important role in cardivascular health.
•  Salmon- high in protein, and OMEGA 3 essential fatty acids - DHA and EPA.  Omega 3 makes up a large porportion of the human brain an helps our nerve and brain cells to communicate.
• Yohurt - delivers hundreds fo millions of probiotic organisms into the body to boost the amount of healthy bacteria in the digestive system, keeping digestion smooth and efficient.
• Avocado - great source of potassium, vit K, dietry fibre, vit B6, vit C, folic acid and copper.  Its a monosaturated fat considered heart healthy and can help maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

Dietary Summary

1. Eat 7 or more servings of fruit and vegetables every day (2- fruit, 5- vegies)
2. Eat wholegrain breads and cereals with a low GI
3. Eat more pulses - beans, peas and lentils - and use nuts more frequently
4. Eat more fish and seafoods
5. Eat lean meats and low fat dairy foods
6. Use high omega-3 and monosaturated oils such as olive oil and canola oil

How much should I eat and what should I eat each day?

Bread, cereals, rice, pasta and noodles - 4 serves - where 1 serve is equivalent to 2 slices of bread, 1 cup of rice, pasta or porridge


Vegetables including legumes (beans and peas) - 5 serves - so 1 serve is 1/2 cup cooked vegies or 1 cup of raw vegies


Fruit - 2 serves - where 1 serve is a medium piece of fruit or 1 cup of tin or chopped fresh fruit


Dairy - milk, yohurt, cheese - 2 serves -  so a serve is 1 cup of milk or 40g of cheese or 2 slices, 200g yohurt


Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts, legumes  - 1 serve - a serve is 65-100g cooked meat or 2 small eggs or 1/3 cup nuts or 1/2 cup  legumes - cooked beans, lentils, chickpeas, split peas and canned beans

How to calculate how much protein to eat - Weight in kg x 0.8-1.8 gm/kg = protein gm.

Use a lower number if you are in good health and are sedentary (i.e., 0.8). Use a higher number (between 1 and 1.8) if you are under stress, are pregnant, are recovering from an illness, or if you are involved in consistent and intense weight or endurance training.

In essence, the more you exercise, the greater your protein needs will be.

Water - aim for 2litres. All fluids , other than alcohol contribute to this fluid requirement.   

The main message is to enjoy a variety of foods every day.  Foods should be eaten from each food group every day.

How to organise the ingredients for a main meal

1.     Choose the carbohydrate

2.     Add the vegies and lots –quantity and variety

3.     Include protein

4.     Think twice about the fat you add – olive, canola, mustard seed, macadamia, soybean or another mono- or poly-unsaturated type.

Tips for losing weight

Focus on what to eat, rather than what not to eat

·        Ensure you eat the minimum of each healthy food groups

Eat at least one low GI food at each meal

·        Reducing the GI in your diet will reduce insulin levels and increase the potential for fat burning

Reduce your fat intake, especially saturated fat

·        Reducing the amount of fat is an effective way to lower the energy density of your diet since fat contains more kilojoules per gram than any other food.  It is unnecessary and unwise to cut fat out completely.  Look to consume healthier fats.

Eat regularly

·        It prevents over eating at certain times of the day

·        Keep your metabolism churning over

·        Make all choices nutritious- aim for 5-6 small "meals" a day

Weight Control Secret

Our resting metabolic rate is responsible for 70% of the energy our body burns in a 24 hour period so it makes sense that we need to find ways to maintain or even increase our resting metabolic rate.  Particularly since a low resting metabolic rate will put you at greater risk of weight gain.

Exercise or any physical activity speeds up our metabolic rate.

Exercise makes our muscles bigger and therefore more energy demanding

Maintaining muscle mass by exercising is therefore important to weight control.

So consider asking  Santa for some dumbbells for Christmas

 - 2.5kg and 4kg

Here's a simple home workout you need only do twice a week and it will only take 15 minutes!

• push ups - as many as you can - knees can be on the ground
• dumbbell shoulder press - set your feet hip width apart, knees slightly bent, dumbbell in your hands just outside your shoulders, press the db's upwards until your arms are straight, slowly lower db's back to shoulder position - repeat 8-10 times
• dumbbell step ups - holding db's by your sides - step up and down onto a box or similiar no higher than  20cm
• bent over rows - bent over, back flat, arms hanging down holding db's, raise the db's towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together, slowly lower the db's to start position repeat 8-10 times
• lunge walk or squats - 10 reps
• bridges - pose for 10secs at the top of the movement - repeat 10 times
• Repeat this complete circuit 3 times

Food's primary role is to provide nourishment and growth to our bodies.


Got yourself confused about nutrition and eating?  Not sure what to eat and when?  Frustrated with the extra weight you are carrying?
Disappointed that you haven't lost any weight since you've started running?


Come along on Monday Dec 6th to the clubhouse for an information session about nutritional basics.
6:30pm all GGG's welcome

Healthy Smoothie

Homemade smoothies are a great way to have a nutritional snack.  Enjoy a smoothie for morning or afternoon tea.  Why not pack it with extra nutrition by adding some greens, its a great way to get more leafy greens into your diet and you won't even taste them in your smoothie - try this

1/2 water or skim milk
2 tblsp yohurt
2 tblsp protein powder (optional)
1 tblsp linseeds (flaxseeds - its omega 3)
1 tblsp wheatgerm
1 tblsp oat bran

add some greens such as

• hand ful of spinach
• 1 cluster of boy choy or similar leafy green
• some sprouts
• celery

add your choice of fresh or frozen fruit (why not try a combo of  two)

•  frozen blueberries
•  kiwi fruit
• strawberries
• mango
• pineapple
• pear
• banana (if freeze adds a nice creamy texture to smoothie)

Place in a blender or use a blender stick and blend until smooth, pour into a large cup, sit down and enjoy!

The smoothie will be thicker, colder and creamier if you use some frozen fruits such as berries.  Berries also add an antioxidant punch.

Glycemic Index - GI

Is a numerical system that measures how much of a rise in circulating blood sugar a carbohydrate triggers. GI is simply a measure of carbohydrate quality.

 The higher the number the greater the blood sugar response.
    GI of  70 or more is HIGH
    GI   56-69 - MEDIUM
     GI   55 or less - LOW

A knowledge and appreciation of GI will help you to choose the right amount of carbohydrate and the right sort of carbohydrate for your health and wellbeing.

You should aim to eat more low GI foods to keep blood sugar levels stable - this way it is easier to maintain your weight or to perhaps lose weight.  Less blood sugar spikes less cravings! Plus consuming low GI foods is associated with a lower risk of  Type 2 Diabetes and coronary heart disease.

Thyroid

It is an important gland in our body that secrets hormones which controls the way you metabolise food, in other words the way you use energy.  The thyroid influences how you lose or gain weight and also how well or poorly you sleep. The thyroid hormones helps produce body heat.  The thyroid uses specific vitamins and minerals to carry out it's daily functions. 

• Iodine
• Selenium
• Zinc, Copper, Iron
• Antioxidants & B Vitamins
• Omega 3

A simple blood test can see how your thyroid is functioning.

Focus on Protein

Proteins are the basic building blocks of the human body. Many of our bodies' important chemicals - enzymes, hormones, neurotransmitters, and even our DNA -are at least partially made up of protein.

Proteins are made up of amino acids and help build muscles, blood, skin, hair, nails and internal organs. Next to water, protein is the most plentiful substance in the body, and most of it is located in the skeletal muscles (60% -70%).

There are 20 amino acids that are required for growth by the human body and all but eight can be produced in your body.

These eight amino acids, called essential amino acids, must be supplied by food and/or supplements.

Foods that contain all of the essential amino acids are called complete proteins. These foods include beef, chicken, fish, pork,eggs, milk and just about anything else derived from animal sources.

 

Incomplete proteins don't have all of the essential amino acids and generally include vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds and nuts.

 

 During exercise, you are causing microtrauma to the worked muscles. Microtrauma is essentially tiny "wounds" that the body will have to repair to restore you to your original state. Thus, exercising is generally a catabolic process-you are breaking down muscle tissue faster than it can be repaired, but to a specific purpose.

 This is why  athletes typically have higher protein requirements than sedentary individual because they are breaking down and rebuilding far more muscle on a day to day basis. Eating after a workout curbs the process of catabolism and restarts the process of anabolism (building/repairing). By giving your body protein, you are essentially giving the go-ahead to begin work on repairing the damaged caused through the workout.

How to calculate the amount of protein you need:

 

 Weight in kg x 0.8-1.8 gm/kg = protein gram.

This is how much protein is in the following foods:

*100g lean meat - 30grams protein

*160g fish - 18grams

*130g chicken - 23grams

•Egg, large - 6 grams

•Milk, 1 cup - 8 grams

•Yogurt, 1 cup – usually 8-12 grams, check label

•Peanut butter, 2 Tablespoons - 8 grams protein

•Almonds, ¼ cup – 8 grams

•Cashews, ¼ cup – 5 grams

•Pecans, ¼ cup – 2.5 grams

•Sunflower seeds, ¼ cup – 6 grams

•Pumpkin seeds, ¼ cup – 8 grams

•Flax seeds – ¼ cup – 8 grams

Protein needs to be consumed with carbohydrate foods to maximise the rebuilding process.  Carbohydrate intake stimulates an insulin response which  improves the uptake of protein for  rebuilding.

Examples of carbo/protein snacks include - wholemeal pita bread topped with refried beans, mashed avocado, diced tomatoes, dollop of sour cream and  a sprinkle of paprika.  Ryvita's topped with tomato, avocado and slice of cheese or peanut butter and banana.  Add a sliced boiled egg to your salad sandwich.  Homemade musueli (oats, bran's, seeds, nuts, grains) layered with berries and vanilla yohurt. Tin  salmon on toast with a chickpea spread (mashed chickpeas, lemon juice and mint)

Prune Bars - into a food processor - 2/3 cup prunes, 1/3 cup dried apple, 1 tbsp sunflower seeds, 1/2 cup  wheat flake, 1/2 cup bran, 1 cup rolled oats, 1/2 cup powdered skim milk - Turn on the processor and add 1tbs vanilla, 1/3 cup unsweetned fruit juice until just combined. Add 2 teasp finely grated lemon rind.  Press into a slice tin and refrigerate for several hours before cutting into bars.

The low down on alcohol

Every drinking session will set you back

2 weeks

 in your aerobic capacity.

We could not move our bodies without the contraction of muscle.  In order for muscle to contract - ATP - andenosine triphospate - a chemical energy must be available.  It's like fuel for your muscles.  In each muscle there is only a small amount of ATP available to use and this stored ATP lasts only a few minutes.  Hence more ATP must be continually manufactured. 

To make ATP the muscles use carbohydrates, fats or proteins.  Carbohydrates make ATP the fastest ie. carbohydrates are broken down and used as energy. When the body doesn't need to use the carbohydrates for energy, it stores them in the liver and muscles. Stored carbohydrates in your liver and muscles,  is called glycogen.

Carbohydrates are divided into 2 groups: simple and complex.

Simple carbohydrates are also called simple sugars. Simple carbohydrates include: fructose (fruit sugar), sucrose (table sugar) and lactose (milk sugar), as well as several other sugars. Simple carbohydrates are great sources of quick energy. For example  when choosing something to eat  before a long run

Complex carbohydrates include fibre and starches. They can be found in vegetables, bread, rice, oatmeal, whole grains, peas and beans. Complex carbohydrates take longer to be digested, so your body needs more time to release these carbs into your blood as glucose.

Our bodies need a constant supply of energy to function properly and a lack of carbohydrates in the diet can cause tiredness or fatigue, poor mental function and lack of endurance and stamina.

Carbohydrates are also important for the correct function of our brain, heart and nervous, digestive and immune systems.

Fibre, which is also a form of carbohydrate, is essential for the elimination of waste materials and toxins from the body and helps to keep the intestines disease-free and clean.

Carbohydrates are an essential part of a healthy diet and should make up 50% of our daily calorie intake. The majority should come from complex carbohydrates, preferably the wholemeal varieties, as well as a large intake of fruit and vegetables.

Great carbohydrates choices include:

Bran, wheat germ, wholemeal bread, brown rice, potatoes, all forms of pasta but especially wholemeal pasta, barley, oats, lentils, chickpeas, beans, peas, corn, sweet potatoes, wholegrain cereals such as  muesli , brown breads, root vegetables such as carrots, turnips and leeks.

Poor choice carbohydrates are simple carbohydrates of the refined kind. They have no nutritional value and are generally high in sugars and fats. These  include sweets, sugary breakfast cereals, cakes, pastries, syrup, table sugar (sucrose), fizzy drinks, biscuits, chocolate.

Hydration is essential in a runner's program. Apart from the obvious reasons here's one we may not necessarily consider - the health of our teeth.  A dehydrated mouth becomes acidic and can cause damage to our teeth and gums... Another reason why its important to sip water often and from early in your run to keep your mouth moist.

"Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils" - avoid foods that list this ingredient - mostly found in foods such as cakes, biscuits, pastries, snacks and fast food.

Why?  Trans fats have no nutritional value and are only included in foods, for the benefit of the manufacturers - to increase shelf life.

However what they do your body, you must consider -trans fats contribute to the development of coronary heart disease. 

Do you know many countries have banned trans fats including Denmark, Switzerland, Austria, New York and California.

Trans fats increase bad cholesterol and lower the good kind.

If Australia won't yet take up the cause to ban trans fats, there is no reason why you can't decide to ban them for your diet and your families'...

Facts about Water

Water is the ultimate nutrient for our body's.  Do you know roughly 3/4's of your body weight is water.


Water's functions include

• help digest food through salvia and stomach secretions
• lubricate joints and cushion organs
• tranport nutrients, hormones and oxygen through the blood to our working muscles
• remove waste products such as lactic acid and carbon dioxide
• through urine, water carries waste products out to the body
• through sweat, helps to regulate body temperature during exercise

Want to improve your diet?

Where to start?  Change to wholegrains - eat multi-grain bread, brown rice, wholemeal pasta, nutritious high fibre multi grains cereals.

Why? Attaching Fibre to your carbohydrate choices means it takes longer for your body to break it down so your blood sugar levels remain more constant.

That's what you are aiming for -  constant blood sugar levels rather than fluatation levels that peak high and bottom out low - this is what cravings are all about - this is what causes that running out of energy feeling.

Eating processed white "foods" - simple carbohydrates - these products  are broken down quickly into simple sugars - so your blood sugar levels elevate quickly, peak and drop - umm feel hunger again?  Or you begin to crave for something sweet?  Or you could just go a small snack or treat?

So make better choices - choice wholegrains - add fibre to your daily food supply- grains & seeds - Fibre also ensures the digestive and bowel tract keeps moving - no stagnate wastes building up as toxins in your body.

Never entertain the thought of  cutting carbs from your daily food supply BECAUSE your brain needs carbohydrates to function!!

Each time you eat - ask yourself - Is this the most nutritious food I could be eating right now?

There is no big secret to successful daily eating - we all know the Food Pyramid - eat a wide variety of whole foods each day so your body obtains all the nutrients, minerals and vitamins it needs to function  and to function well.  Love yourself, Love your body. 

Food Swaps

Losing weight could be as easy as substituting  some foods for a healthier choice such as

• replace one cup of cooked rice with the same amount of barley - will give you less kj's, more fibre, iron and protein.  Barley is also a low gi option
• skip grapes try berries instead.  Half your kj's and increase fibre, vitamin C, folate and antioxidants
• replace couscous with Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) - it has way more nutritional value than couscous - fibre, protein and iron
• skip potatoes and eat beans! Beans are a great protein source, significantly boost your iron and magnesium levels plus make you feel fuller for longer
• forget commercial pasta sauce and use tin roma tomatoes instead. Its cheaper and you can add your own garlic and fresh/dried herbs.  Plus greatly reduce your sugar intake.
• say no to marshmallows and yes to dried apricots.  You may think marshmallows are fat free but they offer zero nutrition.  Replace 10 marshmallows with 10  dried apricots and you will increase your fibre, iron, betacarotene, potassium and folate intake.
• try greek yohurt instead of sour cream - less fat and more calcium.
• forget diet softdrink (research suggests they do not help with weight loss) drink water or sparkling mineral water if you want a tiggle!
• skip choc-chip cookies and try dark chocolate.  If you need a fix, go for quality.  Dark chocolate has a range of health benefits!

Label reading Workshops

R Health is offering free workshops each month to the public - learn how to read  food labels on the products you buy so that you know what is actually in the food you eat.

Tuesday Nov 9                6-7 pm at R Health office - 1/180 Haly St
Wednesday Nov 10         11am - noon Town Common Hall, Oliver Bond St


Tuesday Dec 7                 same as nov 9
Wednesday Dec 8            same as nov 10


Register your interest with Berneice Hilly - 41625230 or email berneice@rhealth.com.au

Small meal/snack ideas

•  carrots stick dipped in peanut butter (1 or 1.5 Tablespoons), and then dipped in trail mix or perhaps flaxseeds or LSA ( crushed linseed, sesame seeds and almonds)
• grated apple and carrot, sprinkle over tbsp shredded coconut - add a few crushed walnuts - plus a squeeze of lemon and splash of flaxseed oil
• tin of tuna or salmon, grated carrot, beetroot, some canned beans (rinsed and drained), tomato add a dollop of egg mayonaise (check the sugar content) 

Sugar - Free Diets

It is impossible to avoid sugar altogether - foods such as fruit, vegetables and dairy products all contain carbohydrates, which the body converts into sugar - however you can focus on minimising ADDED sugars.

You must realise that its not  simply seeing sugar as a listed ingredient but its about understanding that all carbohydrates are converted to sugar by our body for energy.  The issue is that some foods are digested rapidly thus spiking our blood sugar levels quickly which ultimately causes fluctuating bloodsugar levels. This is what causes cravings - cravings for more sugar  so that you  get the  sugar high again but this sets up a viscious circle of highs and lows.

While other foods  particularly those that contain fibre are more slowly digested and have a milder effect on our blood sugar levels. That is our blood sugar levels remain more constant.  NO cravings - you are in control and able to follow sensible regular nutritional eating.

So replace high- sugar foods with satisfying proteins, such as wholegrains, low-fat dairy, nuts and seeds,fish and other seafood, skinless chicken, lean roast beef, peanut butter, hummus and eggs.

When you cut out refined sugar the benefits will include  better concentration, fewer mood swings and yes, even a smaller waistline!

Colleen's Muesli Recipe

To one packet of rolled oats (not quick oats) add

1cup of each of the following –

·       oat bran

·       bran

·       lecithin granules (soy)

·       pumpkin seeds (cheapest to buy- cooking section)

·       sunflower kernels (cooking section)

·       ground linseeds/flaxseeds (or whole)  or LSA

·       amaranth (IGA – health section)

For  sweetness can add 

• almonds - slivered or flaked for a nice crunch
• shredded coconut
• dried cranberries - yum and good for your bladder health

Store in sealed container and enjoy with milk.

Nutrition Basics

Virtually all foods have a "druglike" effect on our bodies - foods can either improve your health or destroy it.

I think most of us know which foods we should  eat BUT do you know the reasons why you shouldn't eat junk food?

•  Its it as simply as "I"ll put on weight" ? 
• Do you fully understand what sugar and saturated fats is doing to your body longterm?

So what is the best "diet" to follow?

• Should I eat more protein? 
• Should I avoid carbohydrates? 
• Should I do the soup diet because my friend said so?

Diet in a sense is a bad choice of word - the word, diet conjuges up for alot of people something that implies its a short quick fix to losing some weight.  Rather than thinking the word, diet could simply describe the foods we should eat everyday to ensure good health and assist steady weight management for the rest of our lives.

So how does one eat to achieve good health, to gain energy and maintain a sensible and healthy weight?

• without complicated rules
• without using diet shakes and pills
• without eating foods you don't enjoy
• without breaking the budget

In a nutshell - follow a low GI Diet.

GI stands for Glycaemic Index - a medical term used to measure the speed at which carbohydrates are broken down in the digestive system to form glucose (sugar).  This is our body's source of energy to function each and every day. Quite simply this is the fuel that feeds your brain, muscles and all our organs.

So what does low GI mean?

Sugar is set at 100 and all foods are indexed against that number.  This means that foods that are digested quickly have a high GI and those digested slowly have a low GI.

So what does this mean?

When you eat high GI foods, your body rapidly converts the food into glucose which dissolves into your bloodstream and spikes your body- sugar level, giving you that familiar sugar high.  This sugar rush is short lived due to a critical enzyme - Insulin - who's role  is to take sugar from the bloodstream and store it for immediate use by our muscles.  Where does it store this energy - as fat around our waists, hips and thighs. 

Remember this, the higher the sugar spike, the more insulin released and the quicker the sugar is drained from your bloodstream, leaving you with a sugar low. Umm guess what - you then start looking for your next sugar fix.

A diet made up of high GI foods makes you feel hungry more often - so you are more likely to eat more.

Now are you getting the picture - low GI foods deliver a steady stream of glucose becasue they break down more slowly and therefore don't trigger a sugar spike or a flood of insulin..

Getting the benefits of low GI foods is easy! It just means making a few easy substitutions-

• instead of white flour - wholemeal flour
• instead of white bread - ensure the first ingredient is wholemeal flour then pick what ever wholemeal, multi-grain or seed bread you'd prefer 
• instead of refined commercial breakfast cereals - have porridge (though not with quick oats) or make your own muesli - Colleen's recipe will be published this week
• Add fibre - bran, oat bran, wheatgerm, flaxseeds to your baking
• potatoe - sweet potatoe, new potatoes, sweet corn
• white pasta - wholemeal pasta
• white rice - brown or basmati rice
•  add more fibre to your diet with beans, legumes, whole grains and fresh whole food

Tip of the week - Eat smaller meals. Try to divide your meals into several smaller meals rather than a few big ones. This will help stabilize your blood sugar levels and ensure a continuous flow of nutrients for your body.  So view morning tea and afternoon tea as small meals, rather than as a time for a quick and often naughty snack - make these breaks count nutritionally. 

Suggestions - tin of tuna/salmon, small tin of mixed beans (washed), few shredded spinach leaves and some chopped tomato - flavour with seasoning or a dollop of a good quality mayonaise - check the label for sugar content - MUST be under 5g of sugar per 100g to consider the product a good choice.

Or  yohurt, frozen blueberries and a teaspoon of cinnamon