Tag: lose weight

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Keto Buzz: What is it all about?

The Keto Buzz

The buzz word in the diet realm currently seems to ring ‘Keto’. There are so many FAD diets around and so many that have come and gone over the many years that people have been ‘weight’ conscious. Most diets have their pros and cons and it is evident ‘diet’ is not a one size fits all protocol and the ‘Keto diet’ is no exception.

So, what is it?

There are several forms of the ketogenic diet geared towards different people including: Standard ketogenic diet: Very low-carb, moderate-protein and high-fat. Cyclical ketogenic diet: Phases of higher-carb reloads with majority ketogenic days (5:2). Targeted ketogenic diet: Carbs are consumed around workout times. High-protein ketogenic diet: The standard Keto diet with additional protein.

The most common however, is the standard very low-carb, high fat concept, where protein is left at a moderate intake. The diet is time consuming and leaves people open to obsessing over their ‘macros’. Counting total carbohydrate intake is the aim of the game. You can see how this may become problematic for those with eating disorders or addictive behaviours.

The goal is less than 50g of net (total minus fibre) carbs per day. In doing this, you are working towards the primary target of regearing where energy is derived from. Therefore, as glucose is our main energy source on a normal diet, our bodies will begin to utilise or create other energy sources, ‘ketones’ which are produced in the liver from the breakdown of fatty acids, essentially accelerating fat metabolism and weightloss.

Possible Benefits

– Ketosis has beneficial effects on blood sugar and may, benefit ‘some’ of the diabetic community along with other related blood sugar dysregulation conditions.

– It has been shown to benefit some with neurological disorders (epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s).

– It has shown benefits in sustaining healthy blood lipid levels for cholesterol control (when the correct fats are also consumed)

– Supports happy hormone levels and other hormonal related conditions

– Effective for some who wish to lose weight, if done properly.

On the flipside if poorly executed or with a lack of professional guidance, nutritional deficiencies can arise, hypoglycaemia may present, a temporary energy loss may leave one unable to live a normal life and too much weightloss may present.

What I suggest… Do lots of reading and research before you jump into any diet regime and seek the guidance of an extensively trained professional who can educate, support, guide and monitor your health.

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Clean Orange, Poppy Seed & Pistachio Muffins

Orange poppy seed pistachio muffins

We all love muffins and they are often a convenient and yummy snack option. However, they often come with a hefty, less than nutritious caloric profile and this can impact both our waistline and overall health. Thankfully, there are raw ingredient options available to us to boost their nutritional profile and reduce poor quality calories.

Clean Orange, Poppy Seed & Pistachio Muffins

 

Ingredients

 

100g pistachios (unsalted), & an extra 1 ½ tbsp. chopped (for decoration).

100g almond flour/meal (if you don’t have any on hand, put 50g almonds in a food processor and grind down)

50g coconut flour.

60g rapadura sugar (or xylitol if you are looking to cut down on sugar)

1 tsp baking powder

1 pinch sea salt or Celtic salt or Himalayan salt

Zest of one orange + juice of 1 fresh orange.

1 tbsp. poppy seeds, plus 1 tsp additional for decoration

60mL almond milk

4 lightly beaten large eggs

3 tbsp. walnut, hazelnut or almond oil (or olive oil if neither are available to you)

1 tsp vanilla bean paste/extract

1 tsp ground cinnamon

 

Method

 

Preheat oven to 180⁰C. Line 10 spaces of a muffin tin with muffin cases.

Place 100g of pistachios in a food processor or blender and process until fine.

Place ground pistachios into a large bowl and stir in other dry ingredients as well as the orange zest.

Squeeze orange juice into a measuring cup and add almond milk up to 175mL. Pour mixture over dry ingredients and add eggs, oil and vanilla. Stir until smooth.

Spoon mixture into prepared muffin cases, top with designated decorative pistachios and poppy seeds.

Bake for 25-30 mins or until a fork or skewer comes out clean.

Leave to cool.

Transfer into an airtight container for storage in the fridge or freezer if left for more than 4 days.

Diet Consultation

 

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IBS: Gut Problems Got You Beat?

Diet Consultation IBS

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Do you suffer from the following?

IBS

Gas
Bloating
Sore or upset stomach
Fatigue
Nausea
Irritability
Reflux or heartburn

Digestive Enzymes and IBS Type Symptoms

If you are suffering from one or more of the above digestive complaints, it is possible that you are lacking vital enzymes.

Digestive enzymes play a pivotal role in how the food we eat is broken down, digested, absorbed and used. These special little fellows occupy our digestion from our mouth (tongue) right through to our large intestine.

They are also present within our blood, assisting in anti-inflammatory and antihistaminic reactions, but that is a topic for another time.

Many things are known to deplete the number of digestive enzymes we secrete including, insufficient/incorrect pH environment for their survival and activation, tissue trauma to a secreting organ such as the pancreas, chemicals and pesticides stripping them from our plant foods, medications, drinking around food times, excessive intake of saturated and hydrogenated fats, fluorinated water, microwaving foods, heavy metals, dental fillings and pasteurisation.

As you can see, what happens to our foods has a lot to do with the number of enzymes that are viable to our body.

There are certain foods that are naturally designed to possess larger qualities of enzymes, but sometimes, eating enough of these at each meal can be a difficult task.

Sometimes the use of digestive enzyme supplements can fill this dietary gap.

But which enzymes are best for you? When do you take them? There are so many on the market, which provide the most benefit to your symptoms? It is important to speak with a dietary specialist to help determine the best fit for dietary intake of enzymatic foods as well as supplementation.

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