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My top ten tips for weight loss

Posted 12 August 2013 in Weight Loss


Supermarket overwhelm

Although genetics play a role in weight gain, it is the food environment, which has changed so much over the past 20-30 years that is ultimately causing Australia as a nation (and the world) to gain weight[1].  This change in environment has been coupled with a reduction in physical activity due to the many machines, which now make our lives easier. 

Food Environment Text BoxThink of your genes like switches, which are automatically in the off position.  Although some of us have genes that could predispose us to put on more weight than others, the genes need to be switched on for this to happen, and the environments we find ourselves in help switch them on.  As George Bray, a leading obesity researcher says, “the genetic background loads the gun, but the environment pulls the trigger”.Light Switch Off

Coping in the current food environment where marketing is very powerful and food is everywhere can be difficult, because we are not genetically programmed to turn down food.  This relates back to our ‘hunter gatherer’ days where our bodies learned to cope with scarcity. To survive, we needed to eat food when it became available and our bodies learned to store energy (calories) during times of shortage.  We adapted to an environment with a low availability of food, the need to expend lots of energy to get food, our brains wired to get excited by foods that contain fat and sugar and the ability to consume lots of food in a short period of time (because there was no refrigeration).  This conditioning was very strong and vital for survival.

http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-image-retro-fast-food-tin-signs-vintage-metal-collection-pizza-burger-hot-dog-barbecue-delicious-backgrounds-image31755076Our biological systems and DNA are highly complex and have evolved slowly over hundreds of thousands of years.  We have not changed much between then and now, but our food and physical activity environments have evolved and changed very quickly.  Today, we live in an environment where food is everywhere.  We can eat at every hour of the day, marketing is powerful and relentless, we don’t need to expend energy to get food, and processed and convenience foods tend to be cheaper.  All of this is hard to ignore.   But we do have a choice.

As Dr Altshuler, a clinical endocrinologist and human geneticist says “ Genes are the hand of cards you are dealt.  It’s up to you how to play that hand.  Sometimes the person with the best cards doesn’t win, it’s the person who plays them better.”

So with this in mind, here are my top ten tips to loose weight and keep it off.

ONE1. Remember you have a choice

The food market is principally controlled by large corporations that make convenience, processed and ‘fast foods’.  They are not horrible people plotting to make the world fat.  It’s purely business and about increasing profits by getting us to eat more of their products.  And by the way they don’t care if the side effect is that we all get fat – why would they?  Be aware of how clever product placement and food marketing is. Take note of how many fast food outlets are in close proximity to your home or workplace.  You have a choice. You don’t have to buy the products or eat them.  Instead learn how to create new habits by planning your weekly food intake (points 3 & 4 below) so you don’t have to.

2. Be aware of how much of your energy intake is coming from what you drink. 

TWOOur thirst mechanism is different to our hunger mechanism and the body doesn’t recognise that we are contributing to our energy intake as well, when we drink it in a liquid form.  Therefore when we drink we generally don’t balance this out by cutting down on what we eat.

FIZZY DRINKSTop of the list is sugar-sweetened beverages.  This is the only single food that has been linked to obesity.  Fizzy drinks contain ingredients like sucrose, caffeine, preservatives, additives, artificial colouring, artificial flavouring and high fructose corn syrup.  There is no nutrition!  On average people who are overweight over consume approximately 300 calories per day and on average there are 250 calories per soft drink.

Be careful not to over consume fruit juices and juice drinks which millilitre for millilitre have as much energy and sugar as fizzy drinks (e.g. 350ml of coke has 10 teaspoons of sugar, 350ml of apple juices also has 10 and 350ml of orange juice has 8).  I’m not saying cut fruit juices out completely, just be conscious of how much of you are consuming.  When fruits are juiced one of the most benefical parts (the fibre) is thrown in the bin.  Eat your fruits whole or have a splash of juice with some sparkling water.  As an alternative, try these vegetable juice options, which are much lower in sugar and energy.

Also consider other drinks that could be contributing to over consumption of energy like alcohol (which is high in sugar),  and teas and coffees with added sugar.

THREE3. Plan and structure your meals. 

Create a meal plan for the week that includes all meals and snacks and use this to write your shopping list to ensure you have all the ingredients that you need (down load this free template Weekly meal planner).  Write the shopping list on the back of the plan and keep it.  Once you have created 4 or 5 meal plans/shopping lists you can rotate them from week to week.  Put the meal plan on your fridge, stick to it and don’t skip meals or snacks.

If you don’t take a pack lunch to work, take half an hour to walk around the area you work in and get to know places that serve healthy options.  Try and identify at least 5 options so there is always somewhere to go for healthy food depending on what you feel like.

FOUR4. Baking Sunday

Spend a few hours on a Sunday baking and creating healthy snacks and treats for the week and make this a regular activity.  If you have children get them involved – most kids love to bake.  Each week I bake one healthy sweet treat to last for the week (muffins or a dessert of some variety), I chop some veggies so that I have them ready in the fridge for snacks, make some hummus, guacamole or others dips and bingo I have all the snacks I need for the week in less that two hours.  Planning your snacks and treats like this will stop you reaching for processed and unhealthy foods that are high in sugar and ‘unhealthy’ fats.

FIVE5. Become aware of sugar on food labels

Food labels list ingredients in order of quantity with the highest first and lowest last.  Food companies regularly list sugar in many different forms to stop sugar appearing at the top of the list.  There are lots of different words used to describe sugar – corn syrup, dehydrated cane juice, dextrin, dextrose, fructose, fruit juice concentrate, glucose, high fructose corn syrup, HFCS, honey, hydrolysed starch, invert sugar, maltodextrin, malt syrup, maltose, molasses, raw sugar, sucrose…the list goes on.  These are all sugar.  

Look at the sugar content on the label, which is listed under total carbohydrates.  The amount per 100g/ml will be the percentage of sugar that is in the product.  If it says 25g or 25 ml then a quarter of the product is sugar!   Low sugar products contain around 5g per 100g/ml try and stick to products around this amount.  Dairy products contain 4.7g of lactose per 100ml, which a naturally occurring milk sugar so when looking at these anything on top of this will be added sugar.

SIX6. Low fat generally means high sugar

When food manufacturers lower the fat content of a food they generally increase the sugar content to make it more palatable.  Low fat products have been around for many years now and if they worked, we would have the answer and our weights wouldn’t be increasing.  In the supermarket compare the sugar content of low fat yoghurt and natural yoghurt.  A natural yoghurt will contain 4.7g sugar per 100g while its low fat counterpart can often be treble this.  This is the same for low fat sauces and other products as well.  Healthy eating involves moderation.  It is better to have a small amount of a full fat product than it is to overload on low fat ones, which will ultimately make your diet very high in sugar.

 SEVEN7. Diets don’t work.

If diets worked we would all have bought the book and be thin, right?  The diet industry has no interest in solving this problem because it will put them out of business.  Follow wholefood principles by choosing fresh, unprocessed foods as often as possible.  Don’t ban food but make sure your eating 80% of your food for the health of your body and 20% for your soul.   Bake your soul foods yourself so you know what’s in them.  This will stop you reaching for processed snacks that are high in preservatives, additives, chemicals, sugar and ‘unhealthy’ fats.  If you’re having trouble putting together a healthy eating plan that is right for you visit an accredited clinical nutritionist (check out the ATMS list here for one near you).

number-88. Make physical activity a part of your life.

Aim to do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity every week.  Include some form of muscle strengthening exercise at least twice per week.  Regular exercise has many benefits for health and helps the body function (and look) better.  It can increase the body’s resting metabolic rate meaning we are burning off more energy even when at rest.  Choose exercise you enjoy and find easy (whether it’s a brisk walk, a session in the gym, cycling, swimming, pilates or yoga), to ensure you keep at it, then set yourself a weekly plan and stick to it.

NINE9. Start with small steps but start! 

Start somewhere.  Make sure your goals are realistic.  Pick one thing from this list and start there – perhaps start with how many calories you drink.  Once you’ve successfully reached that goal you can give yourself a pat on the back and go onto the next one.

TEN10.  Remember the bottom line! 

The bottom line is this, to maintain weight, the energy we consume needs to equal the amount of energy we burn off and this is true for everyone.  Be aware of your energy intake.  The difference between people who are at a healthy weight and overweight is often only around 300 calories per day.

If you are having difficulty putting together a healthy eating plan that is right for you, visit an accredited clinical nutritionist (check out the ATMS list here for one near you) or contact Natural Health Forever to book a consultation with us (email consultations@naturalhealthforever.com).

Natural Health Forever wishes you all the best on your journey to optimal health!


[1] The Australian Bureau of Statistics recently released results from the Australia Health Survey, conducted in 2011-2012, which showed that 63.3% of Australians aged 18 and over are overweight or obese (35% obese and 28.3% overweight).

 

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This Banana Pancake Stack uses a blend of quinoa a This Banana Pancake Stack uses a blend of quinoa and buckwheat which makes the pancakes gluten free and increases the protein content. 

Adding the banana keeps the pancakes sweet without having to add extra sugar. These pancakes are nutritious and delicious too!

Ingredients
1/2 cup quinoa flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 ripe banana
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp maple syrup 
Juice of 1 lemon
About 200ml filtered water

Directions
Mix all the dry ingredients together until combined then add the coconut oil, brown rice malt syrup and lemon juice & mix until evenly combined,
Add the filtered water bit by bit, until you get the right pancake consistency you desire,
Each pancake uses 2 tbsp of the mixture & I use round egg poaching mold to get the shape,
Stack the pancake layers with thinly sliced banana & sprinkle with berries & a drizzle of rice malt.
Enjoy!

#healthylifestyle #healthyfood #nutrition #foodporn #pancakes #homemade #bananapancakes #motivation #weightloss #weightlossjourney #healthy #wellness #food #foodphotography #foodie #foodstagram #foodlover #cooking #homecooking #foodblogger #instafood #foodphotography #recipe #veganrecipes #healthyrecipes #recipes #easyrecipes #vegetarianrecipes #recipeshare #recipesforkids
Spicy Coconut Soup Recipe This delicious Thai St Spicy Coconut Soup Recipe 

This delicious Thai Style Coconut Soup recipe serves 2 and takes around 25 minutes to make. 

INGREDIENTS 
1 brown onion, chopped 
2 tsp of coconut or sesame oil 
1 stalk of lemongrass, finely sliced 
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, grated 
1/2 inch piece of fresh turmeric, grated 
Pinch of chilli powder (or more depending upon your preference)
2 limes, grated zest and juice 
1 tin of coconut milk 
2 cups water (500mls)
2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce 
Veggies of your choice, I used 3 large button mushrooms and 1 green pepper both chopped) 
1/2 bunch of coriander, chopped 

DIRECTIONS 
1. Add the coconut or sesame oil to a pot with the onion and lightly sautéed until it is soft. 
2. Add all the herbs and spices (lemongrass, ginger, turmeric, chill), plus the zest and juice of the limes and saute for another few minutes. 
3. Add the coconut milk, water and tamari or soy sauce and simmer gently for 15 minutes stirring regularly. 
4. Add the veggies and 1/2 the coriander and stir through and cook for a further 2 minutes. 
5. Serve and add the rest of the coriander to the bowls. 
6. Enjoy! 

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Today’s lunch was a delicious quinoa salad with. Today’s lunch was a delicious quinoa salad with....really easy to make with a great flavour combination. And nice and filling to keep energy and blood sugars stable to your next meal 👍🏼

Mixed watercress & rocket (arugula) 🌱
Roasted red peppers 🫑 
Green beans 💚
Tricolour quinoa 💛
Avocado 🥑 
Olives 🫒 
Sunflower seeds 🌻 
Extra virgin olive oil 🫒
Apple cider vinegar (from mother) 🍏
Freshly squeezed lemon 🍋
DELICIOUS IMMUNE SUPPORTING MUSHROOM RISOTTO A y DELICIOUS IMMUNE SUPPORTING MUSHROOM RISOTTO 

A yummy, healthy comfort food. The recipe uses Shiitake Mushrooms & lots of garlic to help support the immune system, making this a great recipe to enjoy. I like to serve the risotto with a side of green vegetables or salad to lower the starchy carbohydrate content of the meal. 

MUSHROOM RISOTTO
INGREDIENTS 
1 tbsp good quality extra virgin olive oil
2 onions, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
250g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
150g shiitake mushrooms, sliced
3 teaspoons of dried thyme
275g arborio rice
1 litre of good quality vegetable stock
Sliced spring onion to garnish

SERVING SUGGESTIONS 
sautéed green vegetables & sliced avocado
a green salad & sliced avocado
crispy onions

DIRECTIONS:
Make up a litre of stock and keep this warm.
Heat the olive oil on a medium heat in a large saucepan, and add the chopped onions and garlic and lightly sauté for 5 minutes.
Add the chestnut mushrooms and sauté for a further five minutes until they soften, then add the shiitake mushrooms and stir for a further 3 minutes.
Add the rice and thyme to the pan and stir in for a minute before adding the stock a ladle at a time. Ensure the stock has been absorbed by the rice before adding another ladle. This should take around 30 minutes in total.
Once the stock is absorbed and the rice is cooked season with salt and pepper and serve.
See the serving suggestions above for how to enjoy your risotto.
Enjoy!
Introducing the Holistic Skin Health Program 💜 Introducing the Holistic Skin Health Program 💜

This program is ideal for anyone suffering skin conditions such as acne, dermatitis, rosacea, psoriasis, eczema, allergies, dry skin, age spots, hormonal spots and anti-ageing. The program is designed to give your skin the best possible care inside and outside in order for it to be at its best. 

The Holistic Skin Care Program consists of 6 consultations over a 12 week period, starting with a 1 x hour long initial consultation and followed by 5 x 30 minute follow up consultations.  Prior to our initial consultation I will send you a food diary to complete. Because heathy skin starts from within it is important to determine whether your diet is rich in the essential ingredients needed for optimal skin health. The food diary will also help me determine whether there are any foods within your diet that may be aggravating or contributing to certain skin conditions. 

During the initial consultation we will go through your skin goals in detail, to ensure I get the program right for you. This may be overcoming a skin condition or because you want to follow an anti ageing program to ensure collagen and elastin levels are optimal (or both). After the initial consultation you will have a treatment plan and weekly meal plan with meals and snack ideas to follow. 

During the follow up consultations we will add to your treatment plan to ensure it is working for you and also go through skin care in detail including staying hydrated, and the best products you can buy or make at home for the following, 

cleansing 
exfoliation 
toning 
moisturising 
gua sha massage 
dry skin brushing
face masks & body masks 
reducing cellulite and stretch marks 
removing / reducing blemishes from the skin 
skin tags (what are they are sign of & what can you do)
natural make up brands 
what's needed for healthy hair growth (including eyebrow hair) 
what's needed for healthy nail growth 💜

#skincare #skincareroutine #skincareproducts #skinhealth #skin #skincaretips #healthyskin #healthyskincare #healthyskintips #holisticskincare
Recipe...I’m calling this my dreaming of Summer Recipe...I’m calling this my dreaming of Summer Salad 🥰☀️

This yummy salad is easy to throw together for a nutritionally balanced meal. It’s also great for a healthy and filling packed lunch to take to work. I like to make enough so that there are leftovers for lunch the next day. It’s high in plant based protein, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals and is packed full of different flavours. 

Summer Salad 
Ingredients – serves four 
2/3 cup quinoa cooked and cooled (makes about 2 cups cooked quinoa)
1 can of cannellini beans 
2 cups of green beans, lightly steamed and cooled
2 cups of peas, lightly steamed and cooled
125g cherry tomatoes, sliced in half 
1 tin or jar of artichokes, drained, washed and sliced
1 cup of raw cashew nuts
1/2 cup raisins 
1 cup of fresh mint chopped 
Dress with extra virgin olive oil,  apple cider vinegar and a pinch of mustard (I use 4 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp ACV and 1 teaspoon mustard mixed together as a dressing)

When all the ingredients are prepared and cool, place them in a large serving bowl and mix until evenly combined.  Dress with olive oil and apple cider vinegar to taste.  Serve straight away and save any leftovers in an air tight container in the fridge for lunch the next day.
Wholesome Strawberry Crumble Muffin Recipe 🍓❤ Wholesome Strawberry Crumble Muffin Recipe 🍓❤️ These muffins and deliciously squidgy inside with a crunchy crumbly topping. 

I promise I will post some more healthy main meals and breakfasts this week 😆lol but it's my hubby’s birthday today and he loves a crumble so I made some yummy crumble muffins for him. He's eaten 3 & 1/2 so far (daughter had the other 1/2 and loved it) so I think he's happy 😍. These muffins are easy to make with easily sourced ingredients. I hope you love them as much as we do. 

WHOLESOME CRUMBLE MUFFINS (makes 10)
2 cups plain flour (we used gluten free)
3/4 cup coconut sugar (normal sugar will work just as well)
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup plant based milk (I used almond milk, dairy milk will work too)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 
2 organic free range eggs (or 2 flaxseed eggs or 1/2 cup apple puree) 
1/2 cup berries (I used blackberries today as they needed using up, but any berries will do)
1.5 cups strawberries (I used frozen but fresh are fine, raspberries would also work well)

CRUMBLE
3 tbsp flour 
3 tbsp butter (or vegan spread)
1 tbsp coconut sugar

Method 
Preheat the oven to 180C and line a baking tray with 10 cup cake bases. 
Add all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder) to a big bowl and mix until evenly combined. 
Optional - If you are making flaxseed eggs add 2 tbsp ground flaxseeds to 6 tbsp water mix through and allow this to rest for 15 mins before using. 
In a separate bowl add the wet ingredients (milk, oil and eggs) and mix until evenly combined. 
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix through well. 
Add 1/2 cup berries of your choice and 1 cup of the strawberries. 
Mix well and spoon the mixture into the cup cake bases. I use a 1/3 measure to do this and add extra if needed. 
Add the extra strawberries to the top of the cupcakes. 
Mix through the crumble ingredients and add to the topping. 
Bake for around 25-30 minutes. This really depends upon your oven. Non fan will take longer so test after 25 mins with a fork or skewer comes out clean. 
Enjoy!
Wild Blueberry Brownies Recipe These brownies hav Wild Blueberry Brownies Recipe

These brownies have a rich chocolate flavour and a deliciously squidgy fudge like consistency on the inside. I use Cacao in chocolate recipes, which is the raw unprocessed form of Cocoa. It is extremely high in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals especially magnesium. 

If you can’t find hazelnut meal, buy a bag of hazelnuts and blend them for around 10 seconds to make your own. One and a half cups of hazelnuts will give you 2 cups of hazelnut meal. 

Coconut sugar can be used in recipes in place of refined sugar. It tastes delicious, has a low Glycemic Index compared to sugar and honey and a rich mineral profile.

The brownies are gluten, dairy & refined sugar free. 

Wild Blueberry Brownies
Makes: 16
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30-35 minutes mins
Ingredients
2 cups hazelnut meal (almond meal will also work but hazelnut provides the best flavour)
3 tbsp cacao powder
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup coconut sugar
2 organic free range eggs (or 2 flaxseed or chia eggs) 
100ml water
½ cup walnuts
½ cup frozen wild blueberries (other types of berries will also work, I like the wild blueberries as they are a little tart)
Grated coconut to decorate (optional)

Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C/ fan 160°C
Line a square tin (20cm) with baking paper and grease with a little coconut oil
Add the hazelnut meal, eggs, coconut oil, coconut sugar, cacao, water and baking powder to a large bowl and mix until well and consistently combined
Add the walnuts and and mix through
Place the mixture into the lined baking tray and add the wild blueberries on top pushing them half into the chocolate mixture with the back of a spoon
Bake for 30-35 minutes until firm to touch.  The mixture will still be fairly soft and squidgy in the middle
Leave to stand until cool then turn out and cut into 16 brownies.  They are very squidgy brownies so cool thoroughly before slicing & then store in the fridge
Add a sprinkling of coconut flakes on top (optional)
Enjoy!
Here's a little healthy treat for the weekend. Squ Here's a little healthy treat for the weekend. Squidgy chocolate cookies. 

Preheat the oven to 180C 

To a bowl add 
1/4 cup almond meal 
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup oat flour (just grind oats in a blender for this)
2 tablespoons of arrow root 
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda 

Mix through until evenly combined and then add 
1/2 cup peanut butter 
5 tbsp maple syrup 
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract 

Once the mixture is evenly combined add 150g or dark chocolate broken into chunks. Divide into 8 cookies and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. 

Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes (depending on how squidgy you like them)

Enjoy! 

#healthylifestyle #healthyfood #nutrition #foodporn #chocolate #homemade #health #motivation #weightloss #weightlossjourney #healthy #wellness #food #foodphotography #foodie #foodstagram #foodlover #cooking #homecooking #foodblogger #instafood #foodphotography #recipe #veganrecipes #healthyrecipes #recipes #easyrecipes #vegetarianrecipes #recipeshare #recipesforkids
This was our delicious breakfast this morning ❤️ Overnight chia oats with strawberry cream and toppings 🍓

For the overnight oats I used 
1 cup of wholegrain/rolled oats, 
2 tbsp chia seeds and 
1 and 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk. 

For the strawberry cream I added around 
2 cups frozen strawberries to a blender with about 
1/4 cup almond milk and 
1 tbsp maple syrup and blended until smooth. 

For the topping I used fresh blackberries, coconut and a little granola. 

Yum yum. Enjoy!
Yum yum who doesn’t love pizza? I’ve put the l Yum yum who doesn’t love pizza? I’ve put the link in my bio to these delicious herbed buckwheat pizza bases to which you can add your favourite toppings. I love using buckwheat it’s so versatile to work with and kid friendly too my little one loves buckwheat pasta.
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