Podcast Episode #7

By Guy Lawrence

Eat fat to lower cholesterol… What about dairy, is it healthy? Can I run an ultra-marathon or CrossFit on a low carb/ high fat or paleo diet?

These are just some of the questions we cover in this episode of The Health Sessions as we catch up with Nora Gedgaudas, best selling author of Primal Body, Primal Mind: Beyond the Paleo Diet. I’ve time coded the bullet points so you jump straight to the bits that interest you most in the video. But when you’ve got the time, it’s well worth kicking back and watching the whole video as the content is invaluable!

Download or subscribe to us on iTunes here.

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By Guy Lawrence

As you can imagine we get a lot of email enquiries. Can I eat fruit if I’m on a weight loss plan? Is it possible that bananas make me fat? Is it ok to eat bananas whilst I’m trying to lose weight? You get the gist of it right… So it has inspired me to right this post.

First of all, I eat bananas. I not only eat them I enjoy them. So this is not a banana bashing post. But in saying that, I only eat them on certain occasions, and for me it’s all about personal circumstances (weight loss/weight gain) and timing. Continue reading →

By Guy Lawrence

One fine Saturday morning in the Coogee Tropicana Cafe after a very enjoyable ocean swim…

Friend: May I get the muesli fruit salad and a freshly squeezed apple juice please…

Me: Uh?? What happened to the big brekkie and long black you always order?

Friend: This is the new me mate… I need to drop a few kilos so I’m on a health kick!

I order an omlette and congratulate him on his new found enthusiasm for his health kick and weight loss plan. At this point I have two options:

A) I could sound like a food nazi and tell him my thoughts on what he just ordered… or B) Keep my mouth shut and wish him the best of luck.

I choose the latter… the last thing I wanted to do was dampen his spirits with my thoughts with weight loss and fruit, so I thought I’d put into a blog post instead and mail it to him… Continue reading →

By Tania Flack

Guy: A few months ago Tania wrote a great article on Essential Minerals and has followed it up with this post on Vitamins.

I often wonder if people even care if they are getting enough vitamins daily. The next time you see someone stuffing their face with a baguette, ask them if they know what vitamins are and why they are essential?

You’ll be surprised by how many do not know what vitamins are! And just in case you are not sure… read on. Continue reading →

The advantages of nuts and seeds lie in their healthy fatty acids, which fight cell oxidation, resulting from free radicals, stress and inflammation. Such fats protect our cells from damage and carcinogens.

Because they contain powerful phytocompounds, nutrients, amino acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids that combat harmful fats, they are considered the ideal food for cardiovascular health. They protect the arteries from hardening, clots, and plaque buildup and keep them flexible, reducing the risk of heart attacks, hypertension and stroke.

Today, I shall start with some of the most commonly used nuts in our kitchens in order to reveal their nutritive and curative properties.

Almonds are an important source of vitamin E, very much needed for the vascular and nervous systems, heart and brain. While some nuts are acidifying, almonds are alkalizing to the blood. They are necessary for vascular and skin elasticity. Magnesium in the nuts helps regulate heartbeat and high blood pressure. Taken along with cinnamon and chromium, almonds control the activity of insulin. Insulin and blood sugar surges harm the system by triggering the onset of diabetes type 2. The essential fats in the nut enhance cognitive skills and stimulate the reproductive system. They also offer certain B vitamins, calcium, magnesium and zinc for building and maintaining strong bones. Almonds cleanse the liver; help healing and repairing skin and increase muscle mass.

Almonds contain good amounts of healthy fats, vitamins B and E, fiber, minerals, phytochemicals and amino acids. Their fatty acids activate the metabolism and help burn body fat. Don’t be surprised; consuming healthy fats breaks down “dangerous” body fat around the waistline. They also keep hunger at bay as a snack in small amounts with dried fruits.

Due to its vitamin E and healthy fat contents,  walnut is recommended for lowering “harmful” low density lipoprotein (LDL) and raising the “healthy” high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels. It also regulates overall cholesterol. The nuts maintain the flexibility of the vascular walls usually narrowed and hardened by plaque and high blood pressure.

Recent studies on rats indicate that almonds due to their fiber content appear to protect against colon cancer. Apart from the fiber, the bitterness of the skin gives medicinal benefits. Soaking it overnight improves their digestibility and increases the nutrient content of the nuts.

Bitter almonds have anti-cancer compounds like amygdaline; but their consumption should not exceed one or two kernels.

Almonds, peanuts and walnuts offer an important amino acid called arginine. The amino acid slows down the development of tumors and cancer and bolsters the immune defenses by enhancing the activity of the thymus gland, which produces killer T cells. They are particularly helpful for those who suffer from suppressed immune systems and AIDS.

While arginine activates the release of insulin, its deficiency can cause glucose intolerance. One of collagen’s components is arginine, which helps rebuild bones, tendons and connective tissue and speeds scar healing. The amino acid retains the elasticity of skin, blood vessels and arteries, enhancing blood flow; regulating hypertension and slowing the ageing process.

Traditionally, almonds relieve cough; break up phlegm and lubricate the intestines to prevent constipation. Almond oil massage is recommended to nourish and soften skin and hair.

Increase you almond intake with 180 natural protein superfood.

Read full article here.

It’s a widely accepted fact that one of the best ways to get your metabolism moving is by building muscle. Simply put, the more lean muscle tissue you have the faster your metabolism burns fat.

But there are other health components worthy of consideration when it comes to motivating your metabolism—like eating for example.

Skipping breakfast does us no favours. Breakfast provides the body with fuel for the day ahead, and kick-starts that metabolism. Go without eating until supper and your body goes into starvation mode and thinks it’s got to conserve calories—or at least that’s my theory. The problem is, we’re all busy. Life makes high-pressure demands on all of us, and our time is limited. That often makes preparing a healthy breakfast—or any other meal of the day for that matter—a difficult task.

Here are a few suggestions about healthy food choices and ways to boost that metabolism:

Choose whole grains and complex carbohydrates provided by fruits and vegetables. These are harder to digest than simple carbs like white bread, which is why Dr. Oz tells us to drop the white bread, white rice, and white pasta if we want to lose weight. Make protein part of every meal. Protein is hard to digest and a lot of calories are burned in the process. Researchers suggest that “spicy foods stimulate the body’s fat burning process.”

And while it doesn’t actually boost metabolism, water keeps the body hydrated and in doing so prevents metabolism from slowing down. Avoid drinking too much alcohol and caffeine. They both dehydrate the body, which reduces the amount calories burned.

And try to eat frequently. While several small meals throughout the day won’t increase your metabolism, it will keep you satisfied and less apt to binge when you finally sit down to the evening meal.

Pack your lunch and snacks before you go to bed at night. Plan your breakfast. And find a few healthy favourites to fall back on when you don’t have time to be creative.

Read the full article here.

Boost your metabolism with 180 Superfood.

As the modern obesity epidemic escalates, medical researchers have discovered your body shape and body composition are much more important than your body weight. How much fat your body harbours and where it lies are critical factors influencing health.

WHAT IS FAT?

Body fat, or as doctors call it adipose tissue, is body tissue composed mainly of fat cells known as adipocytes. The main role of body fat is to store extra energy in the form of substances called lipids, but it also serves to cushion the body and acts as insulation to reduce heat loss. Far from being chemically inert, adipose tissue has, in recent times, been recognised as a very active organ in its own right.

In humans, adipose tissue is located beneath the skin (subcutaneous fat), around internal organs (visceral fat), in bone marrow (yellow bone marrow) and in breast tissue. The visceral or intra-abdominal fat is located inside the abdominal cavity, packed in between organs (stomach, liver, intestines, and kidneys) and is different than subcutaneous fat underneath the skin.

ABDOMINAL FAT

Although we all have our own unique shapes, there is one area where the accumulation of excess fat is a medical disaster: around the waistline. Doctors call this fat truncal, abdominal, visceral or organ fat. Excess truncal fat is referred to as abdominal or central obesity. Abdominal fat has been found to produce a long list of powerful chemicals including several hormones that can create problems. For example, the more belly fat a man sports, the lower his level of the male hormone testosterone falls while his production of the female hormone oestrogen rises. This will seriously impair his health and sexual function.

Young women tend to store fat in the buttocks, thighs and hips while men are more likely to have fat stored in the belly due to differences in sex hormones. However, when women reach menopause and hormonal production declines, fat migrates from their buttocks, hips and thighs up to their waists.

All the evidence points to truncal obesity as the most dangerous type of obesity. Men with a waist measurement greater than 39 inches, and women whose waists are more than 34 inches, have a 500 per cent increased risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer and a long list of other diseases including circulatory disorders, stroke, disturbances of blood cholesterol and triglycerides, hormonal imbalance and inflammatory diseases, to name just a few. In a real way, too much fat around your waist may shorten your life in a haste.

Epicardial adipose tissue is a particular form of visceral fat deposited around the heart. It is a very active and dangerous type of fat that produces various chemicals that might negatively affect heart function.

MEASURE YOUR BODY FAT

Modern technology now allows us to easily measure an individual’s body composition. Using a bio-impedance body scanner in my office, I can determine your actual as well as your ideal body weight, your lean body mass (non-fat weight) as well as your visceral fat level. Even more amazing, the machine gives a read out of your body’s biological age in contrast to your actual chronological age. This helps to provide an objective and realistic evaluation of your overall health.

Using this tool, we frequently find that even underweight individuals can have excess visceral fat and are at increased risk of disease. Fortunately, the solution to excess truncal fat is simple and effective.

Personalise your programme: Having measured your body composition we can use this information to create a customised weight management programme, as one size does not always fit all.

Plan your protein: Your lean body mass will indicate exactly the amount of protein you will need to consume each day in order to lose belly fat but maintain your muscles and lean tissues.

The plan guides you in using healthy, convenient and economical protein foods to achieve your goal. Delicious soy protein based shakes make it easy to personalise your protein intake. Extensive research has demonstrated that properly designed meal replacement shakes are extremely safe and effective for fat loss.

Prioritise fruits and vegetables: Health authorities worldwide now recommend that we consume large amounts of vegetables and fruit. For optimal health, men should aim to eat nine and women seven servings of fruit and vegetables each day. Medical research continues to demonstrate that plants, especially fruit and vegetables, contain a large number of health enhancing substances and are useful for healthy weight loss. However it is important to avoid fruit with a high sugar content like mangoes and bananas.

Put a hold on starch and sugar: Too much of the simple carbohydrates in your diet (starch and sugar) will be converted to fat and stored in the belly. On the other hand seriously restricting your intake of those foods will cause your body’s metabolism to switch to fat burning instead of fat storing and your waistline will shrink.

Read the full article here

Transform your diet with 180 Superfood.

Most smoothie recipes just tell you to stick all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Smoothie making is pretty simple, but there are some tips, tricks and ideas to keep in mind.

Use Frozen Fruit
The recipes don’t always specify, but if you have time to freeze your fruit beforehand, your smoothie will stay colder and be thicker than if your fruit was warm. Large fruits (like bananas or melons) should be chopped into pieces before freezing. Spread the pieces on a plate or baking sheet while in the freezer. That way they won’t freeze into one big lump. Once frozen, then you can store them together in a freezer bag or container.

To Keep it Healthy
There are lots of small substitutions you can make to lower the fat content of your smoothies. Use skim or soy milk instead of regular milk, or frozen yogurt instead of ice cream. Add nutrition with some wheat germ, protein powder, or brewer’s yeast.

Not Thick Enough?
If your smoothies are coming out thinner than you’d like, add a few more ice cubes to the recipe.

Make Ahead Smoothies
To grab a smoothie on the go, make them up ahead of time. You can freeze a smoothie and thaw it out when you want it. You’ll need to allow some space in the container because your smoothie will likely expand when freezing.

No-Hassle Blending
Add the liquids to the blender first, to prevent it from binding up on the frozen fruit and getting stuck.

Read the full article here.

Add 180 Superfood to supercharge your smoothies.