The Nutrition Coach Blog London Nutritionist The Nutrition Coach offers advice on healthy living, nutrition and diet issues such as IBS, bloating, gluten intolerance and more.

By now, we probably all agree that if weight loss was as easy as balancing your calories in and calories out, we’d not even be talking about the whole topic.

In reality, the way we metabolise foods and consequently either put on or lose weight, is dependant on a variety of factors.

Insulin for example, is the hormone that helps transport energy from the foods you’ve ingested into your cells, where it’s needed for fuel.  It’s also the hormone that helps convert any excess energy into fat.  Generally, if your insulin levels are consistently up, you get more cravings, are more likely to store incoming energy as fat and less able to access excess fat (i.e. the weight you wanted to lose) as a source of energy.

It would therefore make sense to get your insulin levels to cooperate with your weight loss goals.  This is where we come to the role of stress.  The hormones secreted during periods of stress can increase your insulin levels.  Knowing what we now know about raised insulin levels creating cravings and making weight loss more difficult, it does look like stress can also play a part in your ability (or the lack of) to lose weight.

The other interesting fact to bear in mind is that excessive physical exercise can also stress your body out, creating a supply of the same stress hormones that can negatively impact your insulin levels.  Which means that too much exercise might not be helpful either if you want to lose weight.

So what’s the answer?  The best one I’ve found so far is the Metabolic Balance diet programme.  It’s based on solid scientific evidence, and helps create rapid changes in your metabolism and hormonal system which help you lose weight and more importantly, also keep it off.  Each client’s programme is unique to them, based on extensive blood test results and personal health information.

The next great thing to a foodie like myself is that this programme is all about eating a good varied diet of normal foods without starving yourself, or relying on some odd meal replacements.

The end result is exactly what it should be – healthy, sustainable weight loss.  Having said everything I did above though, I wouldn’t be as foolish as to claim that it works for absolutely everybody.  However, I would be happy to say that it is one of the better, more scientifically based programmes out there, and because it’s based on eating a healthy normal diet, I have no problems recommending it to my clients.  And by the way, everyone I’ve coached through it so far has indeed lost weight, and has been very happy with the results.

If you are interested, do get in touch and book in for your complimentary session.

The recommended amount of daily fibre is 26-35g, a number which not nearly enough of us are reaching.

There are two main types of fibre: Soluble and insoluble. Soluble fibre is more water retentive and therefore more viscous which makes it gentler on the digestive system. A good example is oats.

Insoluble fibre on the other hand is fibrous material which is indigestible by us. Think of the fibrous part of broccoli, that stringy part of the celery (the only time I would peel these are when serving as a crudité at a fancy schmancy dinner party, however I do find it quite funny when someone has a stringy piece dangling from the corners of their mouths not knowing exactly what to do next) – (slight diversion) or beans and pulses. These act like a brush in your gut and sweeps the intestines clean.

In the 1930’s and 40’s white bread became fashionable, some even thought it was healthier than good old whole wheat. However, in the 1970’s fibre made a comeback when Dr. Birkett studied black Africans and discovered that compared to Western Europe they had virtually no bowel disease. After this study was published more people started eating fibre.

Three ways to ensure you are getting enough fibre:

• Add ground or soaked flax seeds to your porridge or yoghurt in the morning
• Snack on raw veggies such as peppers, sugar snaps and broccoli
• Have one portion of beans or pulses everyday.

Remember to increase your water intake when you eat more fibre. Fibre without enough water will be like ‘cement’ and contribute to the stool being very hard to pass.

Good bowel health may need more than only fibre, it also needs lots of friendly bacteria. Join me next week to find out more.

If you have uncomfortable or painful and unresolved issues with your tummy why not book a private consultation and nip the problem in the butt once and for all.

Six Steps to Becoming More Self-Disciplined

Discipline is the bridge between your goals and accomplishments.

Discipline, willpower, self-control – Whatever you call it, self-discipline is difficult for many people. Some days you think you simply don’t have it in you to make those 10 cold calls, and other days it seems much easier to drive by the gym than to go in and do a work out.

Discipline is the foundation upon which all success is built. Lack of discipline inevitably leads to failure. So, how do you become more self-disciplined?

These are not tasks to cross off as “completed”; instead, they are principles to use to guide your daily life.

1. Pace Yourself – Sometimes we have so much to do, we feel overwhelmed. For example, look at your business plan for the entire year. If it looks like an impossible undertaking, you might be tempted to give it a half-hearted effort. After all, it won’t work anyway, so why try, right? If approaching a project on the global scale intimidates you, don’t let it. Instead, take it one day, or if necessary, one hour at a time.

2. Organize – When lacking willpower, any minor setback will completely derail your efforts. So plan your day and then you won’t waste time or become discouraged. Make a list of the tasks you need to accomplish. Review the list and be realistic about what you can and will do. As you evaluate the tasks, look for any entries that are what you want to do, rather than what you need to do.

3. Be Honest – Self-discipline is powered by motivation; therefore, be honest about what motivates you. If its money, admit it and don’t think you need to apologize. If the admiration of others keeps you going, embrace that and use it to propel you even further

4. Be Flexible – Continually re-evaluate your list of tasks and do them because they are the right things to do, not because you might feel like a failure if you don’t complete a task on your list. Too many times we fall into a routine of doing things simply because it’s what we’ve always done, without examining if the reasons why we did them are still valid. Our goals and visions continually change, so our responsibilities might need to as well. If you lack willpower or self-discipline, it might be because you are trying to do something no longer in line with your goals and beliefs.

5. Take Responsibility – As you work toward your goals, be mindful of your effect on others. Take responsibility for your actions and, if necessary, apologize or change your behaviour. If left unresolved, a sour experience will become much bigger than the original event. Handle it now, and it won’t require a lot of willpower or discipline in the future.

6. Reward Yourself – Being self-disciplined is hard. You deserve credit for doing things you don’t want to do, or don’t feel like doing right now. Give yourself praise and a reward when you accomplish tasks. Don’t wait for others to notice, go ahead and pat yourself on the back. You deserve it!

You may also like to consider some of my recent tweets on Discipline.

DISCIPLINE

• Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.
• We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.
• All disciplines affect each other. Mistakenly the man says, “This is the only area where I let down.” Not true. Every let down affects the rest. Not to think so is naive.
• Discipline is the foundation upon which all success is built. Lack of discipline inevitably leads to failure.
• Discipline has within it the potential for creating future miracles.
• The best time to set up a new discipline is when the idea is strong.
• One discipline always leads to another discipline.
• Affirmation without discipline is the beginning of delusion.
• You don’t have to change that much for it to make a great deal of difference. A few simple disciplines can have a major impact on how your life works out in the next 90 days, let alone in the next 12 months or the next 3 years.
• The least lack of discipline starts to erode our self-esteem.

Ultimately the price of excellence is discipline.

More information about me can be found here and here

New research released from the American Heart Association has shown that the cardiovascular health benefits of omega 3 fatty acids in oily fish are affected by how the fish is cooked.  Researchers found that baked or boiled fish is more effective at delivering omega-3 fatty acids than fried, salted or dried fish. 

The reason for this is that when unsaturated fats, such as omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, are heated to high temperatures they become denatured and essentially rancid.  These denatured fats, and saturated fats used in frying, actually compete with the beneficial fats to be used by cells.  This is also the reason why polyunsaturated oils, such as flax or pumpkin-seed oil, should not be heated. 

Therefore, when cooking omega-3 rich fish, such as sardines, mackerel or salmon, try baking it rather than frying for maximum benefit of the essential fatty acids.  Omega-3 fats have so many health benefits.  Not only are they good for the heart, but also help balance hormones, reduce depression, and help with weight loss.

Contact us to find out more or to book an appointment at one of our London nutrition clinics.

Julia

I’ve always found the topic of weight loss and the huge commercial industry built around it fascinating.  Why is there such an array of different diets, weird and wonderful meal replacements and other programmes that all promise to be the ultimate answer to the age-old question of ‘how do I lose weight in the easiest, quickest way?’

I think the simple answer is because different approaches work for different people.  Most of the diets claiming to be the ultimate answer to everyone’s weight loss problems are in fact the ultimate answer to the weight loss problems of a certain segment of the population, whose metabolic make-up the particular diet suits.

It really isn’t as simple as calories in versus calories out.  If calorie-controlled diets worked, we’d all be slim by now!  To understand weight loss, you need to look at metabolism, and not just fat metabolism but cellular metabolism – how the “engine” of your body will burn fat.  This metabolism is affected by many factors – your hormonal balance, the way you produce insulin, and any health problems you may have.

If you are reading this, with your new year’s resolution of the new, slimmer and healthier you in mind, here’s my top tip – get to work on your insulin metabolism.  Insulin is the hormone that helps transport energy from the foods you’ve ingested into your cells.  It’s also the hormone that helps convert any excess energy into fat.  Generally, if your insulin levels are consistently up, you get more cravings, are more likely to store incoming energy as fat and less able to access excess fat as a source of energy.

You are metabolically unique, and therefore the diet you follow should also be tailored to your unique needs.  For that reason, I was very excited to discover a programme called Metabolic Balance.  It’s been developed by German doctors and nutritionists, and is individually tailored to suit your body chemistry, based on a set of blood test results and other personal health information.  This diet is all about eating a good varied diet of ‘normal’ foods without starving yourself, or relying on some odd meal replacements.

The end result is exactly what it should be – healthy, sustainable weight loss.

You can find more information about the programme at our web-site.  If interested, do book in for a free call to work out whether this programme could help you achieve your weight loss goals.

I am almost always amazed when clients tell me how constipated they are, and I mean seriously constipated! Some have a bowel movement every five days, others ten days and these scenarios have been continuing for years.  They feel sluggish, uncomfortable and not very sexy. Every remedy has been tried from laxatives to soaked prunes in uneven numbers to fibrogel with no lasting results. However, many don’t think that their current diet or lifestyle has any role to play and I can obviously not wait to show them the light.

Let’s start at the beginning. Over the next few weeks I will be focusing on bowel health. Loving your tummy should be on the top of your list of priorities for optimal health.

If you haven’t heard this before, I will say it again….CHEW, CHEW, CHEW you food. I would like to see that you are the person annoying the waiter because you are eating so slowly and he is giving you the evil eye, waiting to clear the table. You’ll have the last laugh and will probably also be the last to reach for the Rennies after the meal – well, hopefully not at all!

Digestion of carbohydrates starts in the mouth. Good lubrication and masticated food is essential to combine digestive enzymes which is in saliva with the food in order for effective digestion and absorption of nutrients to take place.  Further enzymes are secreted by the pancreas and the liver to continue the process, but it is so much easier if the food is already well liquidised. Needles to say that waste material will also be passed much easier through the bowels.

Food which remains undigested can irritate the large bowel and cause other problems.

Remember…. your tummy doesn’t have teeth and don’t forget to choo, choo, choo your food.

Next week I will continue with advice on different types of fibre and why it is such an important ingredient for loving your tummy effectively.