Rules of Nutrition

1.       Eat more protein (meat, fish, eggs) and avoid breaded or coated varieties. Be wary of meat with lots of ingredients. Protein leaves you fuller for longer and will help curb hunger cravings. A source of protein should be eaten with every meal. If you are exercising, protein will help to alleviate a lot of muscle soreness and promote recovery. Soya and tofu is not healthy.

2.       Eat less refined carbohydrate (bread, pasta, potatoes, sweets, fruit juices). When you eat these foods, you raise your blood sugar quickly and when it drops again soon after, you will be hungry again. Also, when your blood sugar is high, you do not burn fat. Fruit, sweet potato and rice in moderation have adequate carbohydrate for your energy needs and are infinitely more nutritious. A small piece of fruit before training can help raise your energy levels. Eat all the green vegetables!

3.       Eat little and often and never get hungry. It is very difficult to make good food choices when hungry. Eating small amounts of good food often will ensure your metabolism is working as effectively as possible. A good guideline is three light meals and two snacks a day.

4.       Avoid foods labelled as low fat or fat free. Fat tastes good. Low fat and fat free foods typically have more sugar and salt to replace the fat and make them taste better. The full fat version is almost always healthier and if you are eating it in moderation, then it should not affect your waistline too negatively if at all.

5.       Avoid processed foods. These are foods that generally have a lot of ingredients in them. If you don’t know what it is, probably best to avoid it. This goes for low cal and heart healthy cooking oils, spreads and margarines. The fats in these are far from “heart healthy”. You are better with coconut oil (Asia market), olive oil and real butter.

6.       Drink more water, green tea and soda water. The body finds it difficult to distinguish between hunger and thirst. Food is also metabolised more efficiently when you are properly hydrated. Green tea helps you burn fat and is a great alternative to coffee and tea which both lead to dehydration. Rooibos tea is another great tea with tons of antioxidants but no caffeine so suitable at night.

7.       Prepare food in advance and bring it with you in a lunchbox. If you always have something healthy to hand, you will have no excuse to eat badly.

8.       Eat slowly and serve yourself small portions. It can take up to twenty minutes from the time the food goes in your mouth until your brain gets the signal that you have eaten. By this time, you may well have overeaten. If you have a small portion and are still hungry twenty minutes later, have another small portion until you feel satisfied.

9.       Everything in moderation. Avocado, olives and nuts (not peanuts- they are unhealthy) are a great source of healthy fats and I would recommend a small amount with every meal. More could be counterproductive. Healthy foods are only good for you in certain amounts. For this reason, try to add variety to your diet. Experiment with different combinations of meats, fish and colourful vegetables.

10.   Enjoy your food. Ask me for some delicious healthy recipes and have fun playing with different herbs and spices.

WHY I PREFER RESISTANCE TRAINING TO CARDIO

The term “cardio” generally refers to aerobic exercise. Typical examples are long distance running, dance and well, aerobics.  Cardio can be fun and it definitely has its place in a balanced training programme but unfortunately, the fitness industry currently places too much emphasis on its importance. Cardio on its own can raise cortisol levels and cause a hormonal imbalance that actually causes you to store fat around your middle. Also, cardio while dieting can result in reduced muscle mass which will put you in a position to gain fat more easily and mean you’ll have to work harder to reach fat loss goals. The simple antidote to this is to do resistance training as well as or instead of cardio.

Examples of resistance training would be lifting weights or doing exercises using bodyweight as resistance such and push ups, pull-ups and squats. Such exercises help to build and maintain lean muscle mass (provided nutrition is adequate). More muscle requires more energy to maintain and so the food you eat is used more efficiently and less of it is stored as fat. I won’t go in to detail about how women don’t build bulky muscles as that article has been done to death but if you want more information on the topic or proof, email me, call/ text me or just ask me. I’m more than happy to chat about the topic!

Resistance training is recommended by health professionals the world over to treat a myriad of health problems such as heart conditions, diabetes, osteoporosis, Multiple Sclerosis, arthritis, depression, insomnia, eating disorders, low self esteem and much more. The benefits cannot be overstated.

Now that we have discussed why resistance training is so important, the next step is to determine what kind is the best. The answer is whatever kind you enjoy doing the most and will stick at. The best exercise programme in the world is useless if it is not followed regularly. 

For me, the best exercise is weightlifting. Since I started weightlifting over two years ago, I have gained lots of lean muscle and lost a lot of fat (meaning I am now two dress sizes smaller). I now eat more food than I used to and I can enjoy more treats without worrying that I won’t fit in to my favourite jeans.  I have more energy, I sleep better and I really look forward to training. The feeling of lifting more weight this week than I did last week or last month is very empowering and the confidence boost from it really does transfer to all aspects of my life. I feel ready for any challenge whether it is playing football with friends, helping a relative move house or helping a stranger when their car gets stuck.

The best way to find out what works for you is to try many different things. Give each new thing a chance and stick with it for a few weeks to a few months and if you don’t like it, move on and try something else. It doesn’t have to cost the earth. You can get a very effective resistance training workout at home using everyday objects such as chairs, steps and even tins of food. 

If you want more information about anything I’ve mentioned above, call, text or email. 0877915646, info@deelynch.com

How not to be hungry

I make horrible food choices when I’m hungry. It’s like I’m under the influence of the cookie monster. When I’m hungry in the supermarket, it’s very likely that I will reach the checkout with a basket full of chocolate (that’s actually happened!)

In the short term, what this means is that I satisfy my hunger pangs without getting properly nourished. Soon after that, my sugar cravings will come back even worse and so begins a vicious circle of sugar cravings that’s hard to break. I go from cranky to hyper and back again as my blood sugar is jerked around. I frequently find myself anxious for no reason. I sleep quite poorly at night and spend my days drifting off at awkward times.

 In the long term, this means, obesity, diabetes, a lifetime of bad health and mood swings and most likely an early death. How am I going to avoid this? I am going to ensure I am never ever hungry. I will prepare my food in advance so that I can eat little amounts, often. I will only prepare healthy food and avoid sugary, starchy foods. I will ensure I have some protein with every meal and snack.

If this is so great, why doesn’t everyone do it? A lot of people associate food with comfort and of course sugar is very comforting. It is easier to keep eating the way you have become accustomed to. Breaking lifelong habits can be very difficult. But do you want to be just like everyone else; slaves to your sugar cravings; complaining about how out of shape you feel while munching on some bread?

Eliminating sugary, starchy foods from your diet is not a faddy way of eating; it is sustainable and long term, it is much healthier. Sure, you will feel a little less energetic and uncomfortable at first. This generally lasts a few days but you will find that almost immediately, your stomach will feel slimmer and firmer as you drop excess water and gas that constantly bloats you when you eat sugary, starchy foods. As time goes on, you will have more energy. You will sleep better and you can enjoy better more stable moods that are not subject to the influence of what is in your stomach.

Clients ask me all the time questions like “how many carbohydrate foods can I have a day?” and “how long do I have to restrict carbohydrates for?” and “can I ever have the unhealthy things I like ever again?” The answer to all these questions is very simple. You can have as many carbohydrate foods as you like a day. As a matter of fact, you can eat all the unhealthy foods that you like. You just won’t see results unless you put the effort in. The better your diet is, the faster you’ll see results and the more pronounced your results will be.

For me, this is a no- brainer. It is actually such a small bit of effort for such a large reward. I have improved health, more energy, sleep better and feel better and look better and all I have to do is prepare my food in advance. Seriously?! What’s the drawback??

There is none. I wish everything were as simple. Any questions?

Nutrition II

Humans are fantastically adaptable creatures, capable of surviving very extreme and unusual conditions. Do you want to just survive or would you like to thrive?
Many people I know struggle through their daily life with minor health complaints and they foresee themselves living to their 70s and becoming decrepit and dying. This saddens me as my vision is very different. I want to die like Jack LaLanne, in my prime at 96 years of age or older. It is becoming increasingly apparent that many of the diseases afflicting the older population are a product of poor diet and inactive lifestyles. This suggests that many of these conditions are therefore preventable with the right diet and exercise programme. However, the healthiest option may not be the most obvious or the one that is most well known.
When you see advertisements for washing powders all claiming to be the best, you don't believe all of them do you? They can't ALL be right! It's just advertising and they can make whatever grand claim they like to promote their product and increase sales. So why do you believe food advertisements for "wholewheat this" or "cholesterol lowering that"? The point of these products is not to make you thin or healthy; it's to make money. There isn't a hell of a lot of regulation on what they say to sell you their products and they often try to befuddle you with false science to make their claims seem more legitimate. If you look at the the real science behind these pseudo science claims, it is often based on poor studies funded by companies with dodgy motives. How accurate would you imagine a study on various washing powder brands would be if it was funded by one particular brand? Of course they're going to find that theirs is the best! This is exactly what happens in the food industry.
One very good example of this is breakfast cereal. I haven't eaten cereal in years and I'm not suffering at all for the lack of wholewheat and fortification with minerals and vitamins. These minerals and vitamins are added because breakfast cereals generally lack them to begin with. Why not just eat the food that contains these anyway? (i.e. meat, fruit nuts and veg). All the cereals, even the damn chocolate ones make some kind of healthy food claims. Some of them have even been told off for making false claims to having actual medicinal value.
It is fact that cereals today contain more sugar than they did back in 1978, sometimes as much as double. It is no accident that obesity related health problems are on the rise.
Have a look at this news article and next time you reach for your cereal box, take a look at the label and see the amount of sugar for yourself. Still think cereal is healthy? If you are interested in a healthier alternative, give me a shout.
deelynch.pt@gmail.com or 0877915646.