Admit it, for some of us it’s the same process every year when it comes to the holiday season. We spend the whole year “being good” and when the time comes, we think f&*k it. We then put ourselves through a guilt trip thinking, “why did I let myself do that?”. It’s time to stop this vicious cycle, so here are my top 5 tips to start you off:

Remember to have fun and ditch that “all or nothing” attitude to eating. Enjoy good quality tasty food in controlled amounts and balance them with nutritious foods.

If you feel like you’re stuck in a rut when it comes to healthy eating and weight management, reach out to me by clicking on this link>>.

The 2011-12 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (NNPAS) reported that 1 in 8 people aged 2 years and over are not consuming adequate intakes of iron. This post highlights the importance of iron in the diet with a brief overview on the risk of deficiency, and some tips on achieving an adequate intake.

What is iron and why is it important?

Iron is an important mineral, which is a key component in red blood cells responsible for the transportation of oxygen in the blood tissues throughout the body (haemoglobin). It is also involved in immune function, acts as an oxygen reservoir (myoglobin), and is important for children’s cognitive and physical development. Without sufficient iron, haemoglobin levels will be low and anaemia will result.

How are we tracking with iron intakes?

The recent NNPAS data highlighted that inadequate intakes were more prevalent among females, particularly those aged 14-50 years, compared to males aged 14-50 years (refer to the table below). It has been assumed that females aged 14 years and over menstruate. During this process they need more iron to make up for the amount of iron lost during their menstruation (1 mg for every day of bleeding).

Adapted from

What is the recommended dietary intake (RDI) of iron for people aged 14-50 years?

The table below details the RDI for iron people aged 14-50 years of age. Females require more iron compared to males within this age range. During pregnancy, the iron requirement increases to 27 mg/day to compensate for the developing foetus drawing iron from the mother in preparation for the first 5-6 months after birth. The important thing about iron is to make sure you do not run low, this is particularly so for females. Prevention is the best strategy!

Adapted from “Iron/ Nutrient Reference Values” by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), 2014

What is Iron-Deficiency Anaemia (IDA)?

IDA is the most common form of anaemia, which is a condition where there is a decrease in levels of haemoglobin and a haematocrit (blood test) displays a decreased production of red blood cells and oxygen capacity. IDA usually develops over time if you consistently have inadequate iron levels which is needed to build healthy red blood cells. As a result, the body starts using stored iron. If it does reach to a point where it uses up all the stored iron, your body makes fewer red blood cells, which contains less hemoglobin than what is required for the body.

Presentation of IDA

Symptoms of IDA can lead to:

BreathlessnessDizzinessFatigueLooking very pale

Severe symptoms of IDA, in particular with young children, can lead to:

Heart problemsDecreased resistance to infectionDevelopmental issues with lifelong effects

Factors that can lead to IDA

Factors that can lead to the development of IDA include:

Delayed introduction to iron-rich foods during infancy followed by poor dietary habits in preschool:

At at 6 months of age, infants need iron from food sources for cognitive and physical development, and increased resistance to infection.

Groups at risk of IDA

InfantsPreschoolersAdolescentsPeople with malabsorption issuesVegetariansPregnant women

If you suspect you may be iron deficient please contact your GP or local health professional.

Which foods give you iron?

Red meat ~ 2 mg per 100 gChicken ~ 0.5 mg per 100 gFish ~ 0.3 mg per 100 gWeetbix ™ ~ 3 mg per 2 biscuitsCooked spinach ~ 3 mg per ½ cupTofu ~ 2.96 mg per 100 gCooked brown rice ~ 0.7 mg per 1 cup

Important things to note:

Vitamin C plays a role in enhancing iron absorption, particularly of non-haem sources

Let’s increase our iron intakes through wholesome iron rich foods!

We have to admit, sugar does not have the best reputation. Despite being delicious, sugar has often been demonised by media personalities who argue that it makes us fat, sick, that it is a poison and is slowly killing us. That said, the majority of us regularly consume sugar. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australians consume about the equivalent of 14 teaspoons of white sugar per day. Sugar cravings are often responsible for our late night binges and the inevitable sugar crash afterwards. The picture looks very bleak, but is sugar really that bad for us? Are the media personalities right in their crusade against sugar?

The low down on sugar

The first thing we need to realise when we talk about sugar is that there are several different types. Not all sugar is created equal. There are sugars that are bad for us in moderate to high amounts and other sugars that are healthy in higher amounts. For example, there are sugars that occur naturally in fruits, vegetables, milk, and whole grains, and are key to a healthy balanced diet. Cutting down on these types of food deny your body of vital nutrients for health.

Sugar becomes a problem when we regularly add refined sugar to our diets. Refined sugar belongs to a group of sugars called free sugars. These include any sugar that we add to food and includes both refined sugars (e.g., white sugar, raw sugar, brown sugar, etc.) and natural sugars (e.g., honey, maple syrup, fruit juices, etc.) Free sugars are often added to foods we eat by manufacturers to enhance the flavour, texture, colour, and overall shelf life of their products. Here lies the problem with the media personalities that attack sugar. They argue that we should take sugar completely out of our diet, or, at least, remove all added sugar. They fail to make the distinction between good and bad sugars and often neglect the importance of moderation.

What is moderation?

The term moderation is used a lot in nutritional information. But, what does moderation mean to you? Does it mean the same thing to your best friend? How about your doctor? I think you’ll notice that we all vary in what we consider to be “moderate” use. Moderation can mean different things to different people. When it comes to the consumption of sugar, the World Health Organization provides a good recommendation. They suggest that adults and children aim for an intake of free sugars that equals 5% of their daily energy requirements. In other words, they recommend about 25 grams of added sugar per day, which equates to about 6 teaspoons of honey or white sugar. This sounds like a lot! But, many of us consume more than this, even if we don’t add sugar to our coffee each day. the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that many of us consume 105 grams per day. So, where is this extra sugar coming from?

Unfortunately, the awesome convenience of processed or packaged foods carries a significant cost. You guessed it, a large amount of added sugar. It is also tricky to determine the amount of free sugars in processed or packaged goods. This is because the Nutrition Information Panel that is located on all packaged foods in Australia does not differentiate between naturally occurring sugars and added free sugars.

If you’re interested in figuring out how much added sugar would equal 5% of your daily intake, the first place to start is by calculating your average daily energy intake. This can be provided by your Nutritionist or you can get a rough estimate from the Eat For Health website. Once you have got your average daily energy intake, calculate 5% of that intake and then divide it by 17. The resulting number will be the grams of added sugar You should aim to consume.

Be an informed consumer

Have you ever found a name on the ingredient list that sounds like sugar, but you’re not sure? I certainly have and that is because there are lots of different names for added sugar in packaged foods, many of which may be refined or artificial sugars. You can find out what they are by clicking on this >>link.

Also remember that not all foods with the same amount of sugar are equal. You can choose foods that have more nutrients with the same amount of sugar. For example, flavoured yogurts contain sugar, but you also get the benefit of calcium and protein, compared to a snickers bar, which have very few, if any, additional nutrients.

Are there healthier sugars than others?

No, despite the different colours and flavours, the nutritional values of white, brown, raw sugars are very similar. Some sugars have been spruiked, often by media personalities, as containing more vitamins, minerals or antioxidants than others. Often they are true, but the amounts are so minuscule that we’d have to consume tons of sugar to get any benefit from these “healthier” options. I would advise against this.

The bottom line

While the media personalities want to help you, making sugar out to be a demon is not helpful. You don’t need to avoid sugar to be healthy. Here is a more helpful approach: Sugar, like many nutrients, foods, and behaviours, can be harmful if used in excessive amounts. Arm yourself with knowledge, make wise food choices, and, fill your diet with plenty of nutrients to balance your sugar consumption. You can learn how to moderate your intake by reading nutrition labels, understanding your energy intake, and, creating a meal planner.

As a finishing point, you’ll notice that many of the media personalities who are anti-sugar also tend to cook their own food. Unless they are selling a food product, they don’t rely on processed or packaged foods. This isn’t by coincidence. If we chuck out their anti-sugar crusade, there is actually a good and simple message in their actions: make your own food and control your diet to achieve your goals. That’s a message I believe in.

Struggling to lose weight? Sleep on it! Sleeping is just as important as eating well to maintain a healthy body weight

You probably would have heard that a good night's sleep is one of the keys to good health. It is also the key to maintaining a healthy weight.

How does sleep affect our body weight?

It has been theorised that sleep deprivation may alter hormones that control hunger. Specifically, sleep deprivation increases levels of the appetite-stimulating hormone ghrelin and lowers levels of the satiety-inducing hormone leptin. This shift in hormones may lead to an increased appetite, especially for foods rich in fat and carbohydrates whereas the desire for healthy rich foods are diminished.

This theory has been examined by Taheri et al. (2004) who conducted a study with 1,024 volunteers. They identified that participants who experienced shorter durations of sleep had elevated levels of ghrelin and reduced levels of leptin. Furthermore, the differences in ghrelin and leptin levels were likely to increase appetite as those with shorter sleep durations experienced an increase in body mass index (BMI).

Sleep also affects more than weight, it can affect our motivation as well!

Sleep also influences our behaviour and this can result in challenges in sticking to our exercise program. Individuals who do not get enough sleep tend to be more tired during the day and this only makes matters worse in the evening. As such, it is quite reasonable to expect that the time we would normally spend exercising might end up as a TV binge instead. If we struggle to improve our sleep, it can lead to months of not exercising which ends up hindering our sleep. It is a vicious cycle!

Struggling to sleep? Have you tried milk and honey?

You can always try a glass of warm milk with a teaspoon of honey or sugar about 30 minutes before bed. The milk gives the body a boost of tryptophan, an amino acid, while the added sugar causes insulin to be released. The insulin from the added honey or sugar will assist tryptophan to enter the nervous system. Once entered, it transforms into a neurotransmitter called serotonin which aids sleep.

If you are still struggling to maintain consistent healthy sleep patterns, you may benefit from some strategies. Sleep is a behavioural pattern and we can often develop some bad habits that interrupt restful sleep. Sleep hygiene can be a great way to improve our sleep. Shaw Psychology has an excellent document on sleep hygiene which you can access here: http://www.shawpsychology.com/uploads/1/0/5/5/10553870/sleep_hygiene.pdf

Struggling to lose weight? Contact The Nutrition Space for a private 1:1 consultation.

So you want to lose some weight and you heard about this new awesome diet that guarantees a loss of 10 kilograms in the first 3 weeks. You think to yourself, this is bloody amazing! You start the diet program, which involves a strict list of foods you can eat and foods that you should avoid at any cost. In addition, the program involves a very specific detoxing session, which is required at least twice a week to remove toxins from your body.

In the first week you feel great. You’re finally doing something to lose those extra kilos you gained during the winter period. What’s super awesome is you have already lost about 1-2 kilos. In the second week, you’ve lost a few more kilos. You’re struggling to stick to the strict list of foods. You’re low in energy and you feel like you’re about to face plant onto your desk at work. In the third week, your work schedule gets really busy so you don’t have time to consider what to eat and what not to eat. So when you feel that drop in energy you decide to grab whatever is convenient at the time (even if it’s in the “do not eat” list). By the fourth week, you have thrown the program out of the window and have gone back to old habits. You’ve decided that it was too difficult to maintain. You feel pretty shitty because you’ve gained the weight you have lost and a bit more. Even worse, you feel as though you failed.

For years now, people have been trying to figure out the perfect diet that can be applied to any individual. While many programs make impressive claims on the amount of weight you will lose, more often than not the program is unsustainable in the long–term. What is very common is that people either don’t lose weight or lose a bit then have all of it pile back on over a period of time. Even after these experiences, people are still attracted to the idea of going on a diet because it offers a “quick fix” for something that requires a lifetime of adherence to strict rules.

The reality is that when it comes to weight management is you need to be in it for the long haul. Yes, you want to lose weight initially but you also want to manage it so it stays off. More importantly, this all needs to be done in a healthy manner where you can still actually enjoy the experience of eating! You want to take care of yourself mentally as well as look after your innards. Sounds like a lot of work you say? The reality is this may come easy for some people and for others it may be extremely difficult.

Weight management is not just about knowing the right foods to eat, it is also about moderating your behaviour. As your Nutritionist, I will work with you to tailor a plan that suits your lifestyle. A key component will be to teach you the necessary skills to make healthier choices. I don’t just assess what you’re currently eating. I also look into other areas that can also impact your weight. When you’re ready to ditch those diets and start on a change that adapts to your lifestyle, is easy to understand and manage, and lasts, contact me at info@thenutritionspace.com.au.

This is a quick and easy recipe to give you a boost between meals when you feel that 11 am or 3 pm slump. They are also very easy to prepare in advance as they can freeze for up to 1 month. So, make a big batch, separate and freeze! These pack plenty of energy so remember to eat them in moderation (no more than 1 per day).

INGREDIENTS:

Makes roughly 12 balls

12 medjool dates (softened)1/3 cup raw cacao powder1 cup almond meal1/4 cup shredded coconut, plus extra for rolling (optional)

METHOD:

Combine all ingredients, except for the extra coconut in a food processor.Use your (clean) hands to form small balls, I would say about the size of a 20 cent piece.Once you have formed your balls roll them in the extra coconut.Place them in the fridge and allow them to set which takes about an hour or 2.

You see it in the supermarkets next to the plain old white salt. You see it when you visit those hip and trendy cafes. It certainly looks pretty when you post it on Instagram but the question is, are the nutritional benefits worth it?

What is it?

Himalayan pink salt often contains trace amounts of iron oxide (rust), which give it that lovely pink colour. Compared to regular salt, it does contain slightly lower amounts of sodium. The claim about himalayan pink salt is that it contains 84 (very precise) different minerals including calcium, magnesium and potassium. The thing to remember is these extra minerals are only present in extremely small amounts. Nutrient levels can be more effectively obtained from a well-balanced diet containing whole foods, lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. While, it’s a nice addition from an aesthetic point of view, it shouldn’t be added because of it’s health benefits.

To illustrate how much himalayan pink salt you have to consume to reap it's nutritional benefits, in this example I've used calcium and potassium. Keep in mind, a teaspoon of salt weighs about 5 grams.

Calcium:

- 200 ml of calcium-enriched trim milk = 400 milligrams (mg) of calcium

- To reach the same amount in himalayan pink salt you may need to consume about 195.12 grams

Potassium:

- 1 avocado = 974.9 mg of potassium

- To reach the same amount in himalayan pink salt you may need to consume about 157.75 grams

Please note these are approximate calculations and will vary depending on the type of product.

What’s the problem?

The issue is Australians do consume a lot of sodium and himalayan pink salt is primarily a source of sodium. According to the Australian Health Survey 2011-2012, it was reported that on average, the daily amount of sodium from food for Australians 2 years and over was about 2,404 mg(which is around 1 teaspoon). This includes sodium that occur naturally in foods as well as sodium added in the processing of foods. This does not include salt added ‘at the table’. According to the NRV, the upper level intake for Australian adult men and women aged 19 years+ is 2,300 mg/day. This is due to the adverse effects of high sodium intakes in relation to increased blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease.

So what does this mean?

The healthiest option is to avoid adding salt at the table and choosing other options to add flavour, such as herbs, lemon, ginger, garlic and spices. Unfortunately, the level of processing does not impact how ‘healthy’ a salt is, especially when different varieties of salt contain roughly the same amount of sodium chloride. If you really want to use himalayan pink salt, then no one is stopping you, just keep in mind moderation and that it’s to add flavour not nutrients.

Eating healthily isn’t just about maintaining a healthy weight or building lean body mass. Recent studies have reported that healthy nutrition is also essential for our mental health. In this post, I will provide my top 5 nutrition tips to improve your mental health!

1.Eat Regularly

Stick to 3 main meals and one or two snacks a day or 5 small meals. Why? Our brains need a consistent and steady flow of fuel to function efficiently. Eating irregularly can contribute to poor concentration, irritability and moodiness. Irregular eating patterns can also lead to undereating or overeating behaviours as our body attempts to compensate.

2. Eat Intuitively

Although it may sound like eating your meals using psychic powers, intuitive eating is actually eating like a normal human being. Intuitive eating doesn’t impose strict diet rules about what and when to eat. Nor does it tell us what to avoid. Intuitive eating teaches us to develop a healthy attitude towards food and body image. This is achieved by listening to our body cues rather than our thoughts or emotions. So, in the end, you learn to eat when your body is hungry and stop when your body is full.

3. Get active!

Exercising is extremely beneficial to our mental health. When we exercise, our body releases endorphins. These endorphins create a positive feeling in the body by interacting with the receptors in our brains that reduce our perception of pain. It also encourages us to get out! This is the recommendation set by the Australian Government Department of Health for adults aged 18-64 years:

Accumulate 150 to 300 minutes (2 ½ to 5 hours) of moderate intensity physical activity, or75 to 150 minutes (1 ¼ to 2 ½ hours) of vigorous intensity physical activity, orAn equivalent combination of both moderate and vigorous activities, each week.Do muscle strengthening activities on at least 2 days each week.

The key is to find something, anything that you enjoy! Too often we neglect exercise because we don’t like running or weights, or some other activity we believe we have to do to get fit. Just start with anything you enjoy that involves some movement!

4. Eat a Rainbow

Fruit and vegetables are categorised into 5 different colours: red, purple/blue, orange, green and white/brown, each one carries its own unique disease fighting chemicals called phytochemicals, which occur naturally in plants. This is something that has been reiterated by many nutritional health professionals because it highlights the importance of providing our bodies with a variety of vitamins and minerals to function efficiently. Especially with the cold, dark and rainy days ahead of us in Melbourne, a rainbow sounds awesome and helpful to me!

5. Drink Sufficient Amounts of Fluids

Water is an essential nutrient to consume because we require amounts that exceeds our body’s ability to produce. It has been reported that chronic mild dehydration and poor fluid intake can lead to diminished physical and mental health performance. According to the Nutritional Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand, the approximate adequate daily intake of fluids for men and women is 10 cups and 8 cups respectively. The adequate intake includes all fluids, but it is preferable that the majority of the intake is from plain water.

There you have it, my 5 nutrition tips to improve your mental health. My recommendation is to implement one change at a time. You want to aim for these changes to become habit, not a trend or phase. A great thing to try if you’re struggling to stick to changes is to create a goal for yourself. If you fail, welcome to the club! Brush it off, learn from an errors, set a more realistic goal and try again! If you’re still struggling to maintain these changes, come see me at The Nutrition Space.

As the name suggests this is an easy and quick smoothie to make for breakfast when you’re on the go. It contains calcium and other nutrients, which are important for bone health. There is also fibre, protein and carbohydrates to keep you satisfied and going till lunchtime. In my version, I’ve made it lactose free but you can use whatever milk or yogurt in accordance to your tastes (and it’ll still taste pretty good!). Please note that whatever milk or yogurt you decide to use, dairy will provide different nutrients as compared to dairy alternatives, such as, protein will generally be lower in almond milk. Be an informed consumer and read the nutrients facts label.

Ingredients

Serves 2

½ cup of mixed berries (fresh or frozen)

1 cup of Pauls Zymil Full Cream milk

½ cup of oats

4 heaped tablespoons of Liddells lactose free plain yoghurt

1 big or 2 medium bananas

Honey to sweeten

Method

Mix all the ingredients together and whizz in a blender.Pour into a glass and enjoy!

Prepping tip: You can freeze the fruit in advance. When you're ready, just take it out of the freezer, add the remaining ingredients, whizz it and enjoy!

My philosophy is to enjoy the foods you eat in moderation so I choose not to put up information such as, kilojoules, total carbohydrates, total fat, sodium. However, if you would like to know this information contact me and I'll be happy to have a chat with you.

This month is Bowel Cancer Awareness month, which is an annual initiative of the Bowel Cancer Australia foundation with the purpose of raising public awareness of bowel cancer. This post provides a brief overview of bowel cancer and I have also included some lifestyle tips to reduce the risk of developing bowel cancer.

Source: Bowel Cancer Australia

What is bowel cancer and how does it impact Australians?

Bowel cancer (also known as colorectal cancer) refers to cancer in the colon or rectum which most commonly develops in the lining of the large bowel. Most cancers develop from tiny growths called ‘polyps’ which overtime can become cancerous. The cancer can narrow and block the bowel and cause bleeding. In its advanced stages, the cancer can spread beyond the bowel into other organs of the body. In saying this, not all polyps are cancerous. Polyps should be removed to reduce your risk of developing into bowel cancer. Once the polyp is removed, the polyp can no longer develop into cancer. The good news is even if a polyp develops into cancer, if caught in it’s early stages, it can be cured with surgery. This has been reported to be highly successful in a majority of cases.

It was estimated that 1 in 12 individuals (1 in 10 males and 1 in 15 females) will be at risk of being diagnosed with bowel cancer by their 85th birthday. It was estimated that in 2016, 1 in 52 individuals (1 in 45 for males and 1 in 62 for females) was at risk of dying from bowel cancer by their 85th birthday.

In 2016, the incidence of bowel cancer was reported toincrease with age.

Source: Cancer Australia

Lifestyle Factors

Dietary Factors

The major risk factors of bowel cancer for men and women include the following:

Reducing Bowel Cancer Risk

Like with many chronic diseases, there are simple and achievable physical and dietary changes you can make to reduce the incidence of bowel cancer:

If you believe you are at risk of developing bowel cancer please seek expert advice from your local GP or health professional.

Bowel Cancer Awareness Month

As I have mentioned earlier, this month is Bowel Cancer Awareness month. The team at Bowel Cancer Australia run this initiative each year to help increase awareness of bowel cancer. If you want take part in this great initiative please click on the following link:

A common issue that many of my clients’ experience is the feeling that they haven’t got the time to eat healthily. While we have many competing priorities in modern life, it is important to put your health first. Without good health, it can become increasingly difficult to achieve success in our life. The purpose of this post is to give you some tips so you can achieve your optimum health. If you fail, try and try again! In the end, you need to experiment and work out what is best for you.

There you have it, my 8 tips on healthy eating for busy people. My recommendation is to implement one change at a time. You want to aim for these changes to become habit, not a trend or phase. A great thing to try if you’re struggling to stick to changes is to create a goal for yourself. If you fail, try and try again! If you’re still struggling to maintain these changes, come see us at The Nutrition Space.

The Christmas and New Year period is often synonymous with delicious food and appetising feasts! While we want to celebrate, it can also be helpful to keep our health in mind through this season. It isn’t unusual to overeat or to eat foods that aren’t consistent with our usual diet which can cause issues when the New Year arrives. This is where setting some personal goals for the holiday season can be a great way to manage what you eat. Here are 5 steps on how to set goals:

1. Write down your goal

How many times have we set a goal, only to realise that we blew it within a week, a day, or even an hour? Unfortunately, we are rarely taught how to set effective goals. We all have goals, but have we set a goal that is clear and effective, which includes reflection, work, time and practice? Usually, we’ve had a thought and decided to make a commitment, but the rest is not examined.

So, start by writing down your goal:

My Goal is:

__________________________________________________________________________________ (e.g., "Lose weight", "eat healthy", "start cooking", “get out of bed in the morning" etc.)

Now, ask why this goal is important to you. What is meaningful about this goal? Why is it worth achieving, especially when it feels difficult?

This goal is meaningful to me because:

__________________________________________________________________________________ (e.g., "I want to be able to play with my kids", "I want to be proud of myself", “I want to set a healthy standard for my family" etc.)

2. Create SMART goals

SMART goals are an acronym we use to develop a comprehensive definition of your goal.

S - Specific

Write down your goals in a way that captures your goal in very specific terms. Think about the what, when and, how of your goal. Here is an example of a vague goal vs. a specific goal:

A vague goal may be:

“I’m not going to overeat.”

A specific goal may be: "(what) I am going to practice minimising my overeating behaviours over the (when) next 2 months by (how) listening to body cues and mindfully eating my food."

M – Measurable

For a goal to be effective, you need to determine the tangible measures of your goal. Without tangible measures, how will you know if your goal has been successful? For example:

“I will lose 5kg over the next 2 months”.

Providing a number allows you to see if you have achieved the goal. In some instances, a number may not be possible but behaviours can always be measured. For example:

“I will use mindful eating exercises at least two times a day over the next 2 months.”

A – Attainable

Whenever we develop a goal, we need to ensure that the goal is attainable and within our control. Many people have failed to complete their health goals purely because they have attempted to change something that is outside their control.

Ask yourself:

Is it possible for me to achieve this goal?Am I in control of achieving this goal?

The last thing you want to do is set unrealistic expectations on yourself and put your health at risk.

It can also be helpful to ask: Is this a Deadman’s goal?

A Deadman’s goal is a goal that a dead person could do. Let’s say Sally set up the following goal: “I will not drink any alcohol over the Christmas period”. This is a Deadman’s goal because a person who is dead would be able to achieve this goal. We are living, breathing human beings who have urges and habits. We would change this goal to: “When I feel the urge to drink alcohol over the Christmas period, I will drink a glass of water first, then wait 30 minutes, if I still feel the urge, I will go for a walk or play a game.”

R - Realistic

Consider whether you can achieve your goal given your current circumstances. Take into consideration your health, time commitments, financial circumstances, and personal skills. For example: Signing up to run a marathon in 3 months is unrealistic if you have never trained to run long distances and don’t have the time or finances for coaching. Always remember to check if there might be a possible risk to your health in achieving a goal. In this case, there would be a serious risk of injury!

When it comes to our food intake, “practicing portion control by using smaller serving plates” is more realistic than “stopping when I’ve had enough”.

T – Timing

Your goal must have a deadline or at least a time where you would review your progress. You can set short, medium, or long-term goal. If you’re setting medium to long-term goals, I do recommend setting review points to see how you’re tracking.

Go back to the first section and rewrite your goals. Make them SMART.

3. Think actions

Once you have clearly defined your goal, now you need to start the working towards it. How are you going to achieve it? Think about the steps involved in achieving your goal. Make commitments to yourself, your friends, your family. Commit to actions whenever you can.

4. Maintain your commitment

Remember to be kind to yourself through the process. Don’t stop if you miss or fail to follow through on a commitment. Document it and continue with the day. The point of SMART goals is that we can learn from goals that fail because we can examine where we failed and how we might not have planned for the failure accordingly.

Avoid using terms that don’t allow a margin for error like: never, always, every, all. When it comes to changing behaviours, we will rarely achieve a perfect change from one point in time. Change involves trial and error.

Do things you will enjoy. If you want to increase your physical activity but loathe running, then it is very unlikely you’ll do it when you are tired, grumpy, or overwhelmed. Increase your motivation by finding activities you enjoy. If you don’t know of any, experiment!

5. Go for it!

Start writing your goals and reduce the likelihood of performance anxiety. Remember to do a bit of TLC after completing this goal setting. It can be a big process, but it is worth the effort!

Start regardless of your doubts and while you make progress you can review it with me at The Nutrition Space. You can also check out our packages and see if they can help you achieve your goals by clicking on this link. I can help you to set your goals, learn skills needed to achieve them, and ensure that the goals are educated and realistic from a health perspective.

Not having enough time to eat a healthy meal is a common issue that I come across in my work with clients. They are often exhausted and working extremely hard to get everything done at home and work. The constant hustle and bustle of modern life can result in high levels of anxiety and, at times, choosing unhealthy eating options that we tend to regret in hindsight. How many times have we grabbed a burger from Macca’s because it was fast and convenient? How often have we looked back and regretted that choice? The issue is that food starts to become a fuel, a means to get us through the day.

We need to remember that food is much more than simply fuel! Whether you are by yourself, with a group of friends, at work, or at home, food can be enjoyed and valued. This is where mindful eating can be extremely helpful. Eating mindfully can help us to slow down and take stock of our food choices and the experience of eating. In doing so, we often gain a much greater sense of agency over our food choices, the quantity we consume, and the benefit we gain.

I want to give you a brief overview on mindful eating because it can be an extremely helpful tool to aid weight loss and, most importantly, find enjoyment in our food and our choices.

Mindfulness and eating mindfully

There is now a strong base of evidence in psychology that identifies mindfulness as a powerful tool which can reduce stress, increase self-awareness, enhance emotional IQ, and, minimise self-judgment with regular use. You can find a really easy to read and helpful summary of mindfulness from a psychological perspective at: https://www.actmindfully.com.au/mindfulness

Mindfulness can be applied in a lot of different ways throughout our daily life and it is essential to know that meditation is only one method of mindfulness. I doubt any of us would say that AFL is the only way to play sport and the same applies to meditation and mindfulness. So, while we talk about this topic, please remember that these strategies won’t be taking more time out of your day like meditations often do. Instead, we will learn to use mindfulness while doing actions that we are already doing!

Now, there are often certain food triggers that can lead us to eat mindlessly. These triggers can include, but are not limited to:

These triggers can often stop us from responding to our biopsychological signals (e.g., the sensation of fullness in the stomach, the sensation of satisfaction in our mouth, etc.) because we are paying less attention what we are eating and how we feel. It is little wonder then that mindless eating can often lead to overeating and choosing unhealthy food options.

Mindfulness is achieved by gently shifting your attention to your immediate action, whether you are washing dishes, watching a movie, running, taking a shower, preparing a meal, or eating a meal. Mindful eating, then, is achieved by gently shifting your attention to the eating experience, whether that be noticing the saliva building in our mouth while we wait for food, the fragrance of the food, the texture and flavour of food in our mouth, the sensations experience when we swallow our food, the building sensation of fullness in our stomach, and so on. A study reported that by incorporating attentive eating practices (i.e., mindful eating) could aid in weight loss and management without the need to consciously count calories.

The real challenge is that it can be very easy to talk about eating mindfully but it can be difficult to actually do it! Like many behavioural changes, eating mindfully takes practice. You don’t need to eat mindfully 100% of the time, but we do need to remember to bring our attention to our food as often as we can. If your mind is telling you that there simply is not time in your day to practice mindful eating, remember: this takes no additional time! I’m asking you to continue with your usual schedule, but to pay attention to your actions as you do. You don’t need to compromise your schedule to start practising. The beauty about mindful eating is that you can practice anytime you eat a main meal or even a snack. In saying this, it is not something you have to do with every single piece of food you consume!

Tips on eating mindfully

Turn off the TV and remove other forms of distraction such as smartphonesEat at the table, eat with your family/friends/workersUse any eating experience to practice mindful eating every day. As mentioned previously, snacking can be used as an opportunity to practice mindful eating and is an easy place to start! You don’t even have to mindfully eat a whole meal, even one mouthful is a great start.Start eating mindfully with foods you find engaging or foods that you really want to stop eating (e.g., McDonald’s!)Keep doing it. You will get distracted, completely normal! Accept the distraction and get back to it.Notice any sense of guilt while eating and be mindful of the experience of what you’re eating. Getting caught up in your guilt will more likely end in mindlessness and, let’s face it, more unhealthy foods as we try and comfort ourselves.Enjoy what you’re eating.

Tangible tools and resources to practice eating mindfully

The simple act of checking in with your hunger can make a difference in when and what you eat.

Apps for practising mindfulness

The Nutrition Space offers assistance in changing eating behaviours. If you would like to book in a consultation please follow this link.

This year National Nutrition week is held on the 16-22 of October. Nutrition Australia is driving this very important awareness campaign with a Try For 5 challenge with the aim to encourage us to eat more vegetables for better health and well being. As a contribution, I will provide my tips on healthy living.

Eat a rainbow (I do not mean skittles!)

Fruit and vegetables are categorised into 5 different colours: red, purple/blue, orange, green and white/brown, each one carries its own unique disease fighting chemicals called phytochemicals, which occur naturally in plants. This is something that has been reiterated by many nutritional health professionals because it highlights the importance of providing our bodies with a variety of vitamins and minerals to function efficiently.

Get out there be active!

I can’t stress this enough. Being physically active is very important throughout our lifespan. It’s not just about looking good but feeling good as well. One of the major changes that occur when we age is the loss of lean body mass. It is yet to be established what causes this reduction in lean body mass but it has been theorised that a sedentary lifestyle with increasing age is at least partly responsible. In additional to physical health benefits, exercising is beneficial to our mental health. When we exercise, our body releases endorphins. These endorphins create a positive feeling in the body by interacting with the receptors in our brains that reduce our perception of pain. It also encourages us to get out! This is the recommendation set by the Australian Government Department of Health for adults aged 18-64 years:

Accumulate 150 to 300 minutes (2 ½ to 5 hours) of moderate intensity physical activity, or75 to 150 minutes (1 ¼ to 2 ½ hours) of vigorous intensity physical activity, orAn equivalent combination of both moderate and vigorous activities, each week. Do muscle strengthening activities on at least 2 days each week.

Limit intake of junk food

This is pretty much a no-brainer. There is a reason why junk food falls into the discretionary foods category. Discretionary foods are not necessary for a healthy diet and generally contain high levels of saturated fats and/or added sugars, added salt, and are low in fibre. These foods often contain high levels of energy and are nutrient-poor. The over consumption of discretionary foods not only displaces the consumption of nutritious foods, but it is also a contributor in the development of chronic diseases such as: cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes and certain cancers.

Don’t skip breakfast

There is a reason why people say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. By eating our breakfast we are breaking the overnight fasting period, replenishing our supply of glucose to keep our energy levels up throughout the day as well as regulating our appetite. In addition, we are providing our bodies a significant proportion of the day’s total nutrient intake. Eating breakfast also minimises the likelihood of snacking through developing better eating habits. This is particularly important for children, as children who skip breakfast may miss out on sufficient sources of fibre, vitamins and minerals (including iron, calcium, zinc, and B12, which are important for growing bodies!). If you cannot eat breakfast first thing in the morning you can always move it to morning tea or mid-morning snack time instead.

Enjoy what you eat!

One of my favourite quotes is, “eating is one of life’s greatest pleasures”. Get into the kitchen and make a mess. Sit down to a delicious meal. Share it with friends and family. Eat mindfully whenever you can.

My top 5 tips for getting 5 serves of veggies

Snack on some veggie sticks or cherry tomatoes.Try to include vegetables in each meal. Add some vegetables to your smoothies.Make vegetables more accessible. Keep them in sight, in mind.Buy vegetables that are in season. You not only get a wider variety of vegetables in your diet, you'll save money as well.