Sugar, Fat and the tale of how we were all misled…

Firstly, welcome to March!  It seems a while since I last wrote and I have a good excuse, I’ve been busy studying and helping clients and to be truthful, the days have just run away with me.  I’m sure like you though it feels amazing to be having more daylight hours, and the sunshine this week has been wonderful – I’ve had my running shoes back on and have had some beautiful runs with my dog!

Primroses

I’m sure you’ve heard the news about the Sugar Tax in the budget this week – it’s really good to hear and is definitely a step in the right direction.  I think we all know though that the battle against sugar has only really just got started, as over the last 30 years there has been so much misleading information, that people are now, understandably confused.

SugarThere is a lot more research and evidence in the public domain now that disproves the advice we were told to follow in the 1980’s, saying that all fat was bad, and that we should follow a low fat, high carbohydrate diet.  During this time, instances of heart disease have continued unabated, cancer has continued to rise, and Type II Diabetes and Obesity occurences have gone through the roof, both in adults, and sadly children too.  Even back in the 1950’s Professor John Yudkin presented much research on the topic, and advised that carbohydrates (sugar) was the problem (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Yudkin).  In addition to that, more extensive research has been done on this, and Dr Deidre Tobias is known for her contribution, and findings as reported in the Lancet http://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587(15)00367-8/abstract.  All of this has influenced the guidelines we are now hearing, and why sugar is now known to be the enemy and healthy fats are indeed our friend.

Amongst regular research I do on diet & health, there is one functional medicine professional I follow with interest and admiration for his work in healing, and that is Dr Mark Hyman MD. You may be asking what is functional medicine?Dr Mark Hyman

Functional Medicine addresses the underlying causes of disease & illness, addressing the whole person, not just an isolated set of symptoms.

I thought I’d therefore share with you his recent interview by Lewis Howes – you can watch it here, and I’d really encourage you to take a look.

In his interview he talks about the past, and clearly explains the reasons why we now know the truth about sugar. I do hope you find it interesting and helpful.

I will be writing more next time about this shift in thinking, but in the meantime do contact me if you have any questions, I’d love to hear from you.

Have a lovely weekend!

 

Amanda

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Why New Year health resolutions often fail, and how to make 2016 different!

Our focus in January is always drawn to new year resolutions or health focus – all of which can be good but we can so easily put too much pressure on ourselves to achieve goals which are often unrealistic, seen as a short term fix or are too much of a change too soon.

I was reminded by my wonderful yoga teacher at Oceanflow this morning that during the festive season our bodies are often stressed with the amount of arrangements to organize, whether it’s hosting Christmas Day, or remembering gifts for school teachers, costumes for plays or just a myriad of all including lots of social occasions where we over indulge (those festive lattes and mulled wine & mince pies are so tempting…), and survive on less sleep etc. We may have been less active during this time too and then expect our bodies to suddenly jump into a new running or gym routine (so we can try out the fab new sports watch we got for Christmas!) or we begin to chastise ourselves with the “I’m going on a diet” mantra, and tell as many people as possible to receive supportive comments and understanding nods.

Whether it’s exercise or diet, or indeed both – January sees gym memberships and slimming clubs attendance rise.  Statistics show that most gym memberships then lapse by Easter, and we may feel happy with initial weight loss but are constantly reminded that we are deprived of treats, or indeed they are seen as sins, and are encouraged to save these for a blow out at the weekend! Then yo-yo dieting ensues.

Neither of these approaches leads to what we really want to achieve, which is ultimately a healthy & happy mind & body, with long term good health and enjoyment of life, whilst loving our body as much as it deserves.

You may have seen me say before that I don’t like the DIET word, as on the whole it is seen as a short term thing, to fix a problem.  Unfortunately many diets focus on just calories, and not good nutrition (100 calories of apple vs 100 calories of a Mars bar are a good example), and also don’t encourage and empower us to learn to change our way of eating forever, without the incessant calorie counting and stepping on weighing scales, and with more of a focus on loving our bodies and understanding how they work with what we feed them with, and how that can affect how you feel, how you look and also ensure we are having a wide variety of nutrients to nourish ourselves.

 

Do we feel good when we heat up a plastic coated microwave meal which is the right amount of calories or points?  Does it look amazing visually (which is the first part of our body engaging in the digestive process)?  Does it taste delicious and fresh, and is it packed full of nutrients to flood our body with goodness?  I think you’ll agree with me that the answer to these questions have been or would be no.

Here’s the thing…it doesn’t need to be like that.  All of us are different – different sizes, different likes & dislikes but the one thing we should all share is the respect for our own body.

Healthy weight management can be far better achieved with a focus on making gradual small changes towards your relationship with food overall.  Understand better what your body needs, and how you can nurture it with delicious and fresh natural ingredients to produce meals which are a feast for the eyes, stomach and every cell in your body.  Help your body to reach your goals naturally, whilst still enjoying wonderful food and healthy natural treats.

These small changes will grow into more changes, which will grow into major changes……and slowly you will transition to an overall healthier lifestyle where your choices are guided by your enthusiasm to love and nourish your body, as you not only love your new way of eating as you feel energized and happy, but the word diet no longer features in your vocabulary.

So today, I’d like you to think about how do you feel, how does your body feel, and consider how you could start making small and gradual changes to a long term healthier you.

I will be writing lots more about our journeys with food, so keep reading and if you’re on social media, check out my Facebook page too.

For those of you who would like to know more about how I could help you with your journey, have a look at my For You page on my website.

For now though, remember “You are what you eat – eat food that loves you back”

 

Love

Amanda
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Matcha – why you should be drinking it now!

CS-matcha-powder_mediumYou’ve probably heard about it, possibly seen it on the shelves but do you know why it’s so good for you, and how you can try it?

I’m a huge fan, so thought I’d share with you the lowdown on why Matcha is so great, and some delicious ways to try it too.  Get ready to ditch your morning coffee and swap it for something just as energising, but natural and flood your body with powerful antioxidants!

What is it?

Matcha is finely ground powder of specially grown green tea, and just one serving (1/2 teaspoon) is equivalent to 10 cups of brewed green tea.

Why is it great?

You’ve probably all heard about the wonderful properties of green tea, well given Matcha’s potency, these benefits are even more amazing in just one serving.  I think if I’m honest, like most people, I would struggle to drink 10 cups of green tea a day, but with Matcha I know I only need to have one serving to be reaping the benefits.  Here are just some of them: –

– Immunity boosting & boosts mental awareness

– Helps control stress

– May help in weight loss due to it helping to boost the metabolism

– As energising as an expresso but without the rise in your cortisol levels (our stress hormone)

– Caffeine creates an instant boost for around 1 hour, but you will crash as the caffeine leaves your system, leaving you with an energy dip

– Although Matcha contains caffeine, it’s only around half the amount of a regular coffee

– Matcha is absorbed much slower too over a period of about 5-6 hours, giving a much preferred slow release of energy

– No impact is given to insulin levels, in fact Matcha helps to stabilise blood sugar levels, and contains I-theanine (an amino acid that aids relaxation)

– Helps the body get more oxygen and nutrients to cells, and can help with anti-ageing and producing radiant skin

What are the different types?

There are two main different types of Matcha.  Food grade contains slightly less antioxidants and is used for flavouring foods with Matcha.  Ceremonial grade Matcha has a much higher concentration of antioxidants, and is therefore far more potent and good for your health.

Like most things you do get what you pay for, so I would suggest you always look for organic and the best ceremonial grade Matcha you can afford.

How to drink it?

Matcha powder is quite versatile and can easily be drunk is many ways.  My favourite is as a Matcha Almond Milk Latte: –

Gently heat a cup or mug of Almond Milk (preferably home made) in a pan

Place 1/2 tsp of Matcha powder into a cup or mug

Add a little water and mix into a paste

When the milk is warmed through, add it to the Matcha paste and whisk with a spoon until combined

I like to then just add some cinnamon and turmeric, or some natural vanilla extract, but you can just drink it plain or add a little coconut nectar or raw honey to sweeten if you prefer

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Alternatively you can add Matcha to smoothies and juices to give them a boost of antioxidants!

So, the next time you feel like you need a coffee, have a think about switching to the wonders of Matcha……….

Enjoy

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