Easy Steps to Healthy Eating
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- Created on Tuesday, 03 January 2012 16:55
While this is true, a better way of saying it is “you are what you consistently eat”. It is the things we do, or don’t do, consistently rather than those things we do every now and then, or for a short time, that makes the biggest difference to our overall health.
One of the best things you can do for your health is to adopt healthy eating habits that can become a lifestyle, rather than trying to follow a diet.
Fortunately, healthy eating habits aren’t hard and by following our five healthy eating tips below, you’ll be well on your way to a healthier you!
Include Protein At Every Meal & Snack
You might think high protein diets are just for athletes or rapid weight loss. There’s far more to protein than just muscles however! High protein diets have also been an effective method of:
- reducing blood pressure and preventing hypertension (1),
- improving immune function against both bacterial and viral sources of infection (2),
- accelerating recovery from injury and soft tissue trauma.
The best sources of protein include meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and soft cheeses. Try to ensure you consume at least 1-2 grams of lean protein per kilogram of
Five Foods You Should Not Put in Your Mouth
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- Created on Tuesday, 03 January 2012 16:48
In this article, we look at the top five foods that should never enter your mouth. Five foods that are responsible for much of today’s chronic illness and disease. If you regularly consume any of these foods, stop now and see what a powerful difference you can make to your health.
Wheat
Wheat is the number one food on our list, one that single handedly is responsible for most forms of digestive distress and discomfort. If you have not yet removed wheat from your diet this is an absolute must.
The protein gluten, found in wheat is particularly damaging to the lining of the digestive tract. The regular, frequent consumption of wheat based products is one of the key factors behind digestive disorders like IBS, Crohn’s Disease and Celiac’s. If you find yourself regularly affected by any of the below symptoms, removing wheat from your diet is particularly important:
- bloating or abdominal discomfort after eating,
- frequent bouts of diarrhoea or constipation,
- regular problems with gas and wind.
Recurrent eczema or hard to beat psoriasis is a key indication you are eating too much wheat.
Wheat, and it’s damaging protein gluten, is a common filler ingredient in many prepacked and prepared foods.
Top Five Phytonutrients for Your Health
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- Created on Thursday, 17 November 2011 12:12
Food is more than just proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins. Every fruit or vegetable that you put in your mouth has a complex assortment of phytochemicals that provide amazing health benefits. You don't need exotic herbs for good health; including a wide variety of local fresh fruit and vegetables can provide you with many of the same active ingredients we look for in herbal medicine.
While it’s hard to stop at just five here are our top phytochemical recommendations for you to include in your diet.
Lutein & Zeaxanthin
We might have cheated and included two phytochemicals, but Lutein and Zeaxanthin are so tightly related and so frequently work in tandem that we're considering them as one!
Lutein and Zeaxanthin are two important phytochemicals for anyone concerned about eye health. Dietary intake of these two important phytochemicals has been associated with decreased risk of age related macular degeneration.
While you might normally think of grapes and berries when it comes to Lutein and Zeaxanthin, many vegetables are often more potent sources. Kale, watercress, spinach and parsley are all highly concentrated sources of Lutein, while Zeaxanthin is one of the major components in orange peppers.
Indoles
We regularly talk about hormonal
Top Ten Tips to Get Kids to Eat Their Vegetables
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- Created on Thursday, 17 November 2011 12:50
While sending them to bed hungry make work in the short term; it is not going to help cultivate that love of vegetables that will be so vital for disease prevention in later life. In this article we look at our Naturopath's top ten tips for getting your children to love their veggies!
Tip 1: Avoid the PCBs
I'm not talking about petrochemicals, or even commercial fertilisers here, though both are good candidates to avoid. I am talking about the dreaded frozen peas, carrots and broccoli!
Let's face it, there's no way to make frozen vegetables taste like anything more than cardboard and we all know that flavour is key for these connoisseurs.
If the convenience of reduced preparation times for frozen vegetables is too attractive, many supermarkets now stock fresh vegetables in prepared packages that can substantially reduce preparation time.
Tip 2: Seduce their Senses
Children have not had their senses dulled by years of abuse the way adults have. Using foods and preparation styles that appeal to as many senses as possible will increase the enjoyment of foods.
For example:
- Stimulate them with smells of fresh smelling herbs like basil, oregano and rosemary;
- Excite their eyes with the amazing colours and visuals
An Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Primer
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- Created on Thursday, 13 October 2011 18:29
We regularly ask our clients their main reason for seeking help from a Naturopath. Digestive health and improvement of digestive function are often listed as top reasons. Although clients may not know exactly what is wrong, they do know things aren't working optimally with their digestion.
What is IBS?
Typically IBS sufferers have a variety of the following symptoms:
- abdominal pain or discomfort and bloating,
- frequent bouts of diarrhoea and constipation,
- urgency associated with bowel movements, or feelings of incomplete evacuation.
It is worth noting that in many clients we see there is no formal diagnosis of IBS; rather, many people self diagnose. While it is true that medically IBS is a diagnosis of exhaustion, it is important to speak with a professional to rule out more serious bowel complications such as:
- inflammatory bowel disease,
- celiac disease, and
- parasitic infection.
While not as serious as the above, IBS can also sometimes mask an underlying lactose or other food intolerance.
Who gets IBS?
Most frequently IBS is diagnosed during adulthood with 50% of patients experiencing the onset of IBS before the age of 35.
IBS is more prevalent in women than in men. It affects 14% to 24% of women and 5% to 19% of men.