Author: Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tips: Alcohol Truths

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tips: Alcohol Truths 🍷

I covered carbs last week so here are a few facts and truths about alcohol and its impact on the body.

# Beneficial?

Alcohol intake in moderation has been claimed to have health benefits e.g. red wine consumption and heart disease. However this largely depends on the individual and their health status. ‘Moderation’ is also interpreted differently by everyone which makes it a hard claim to justify – what does moderation actually entail in real terms? Whilst some studies do show that there may be some protective effects from low levels of alcohol consumption for some diseases, as the WHO states, the potential risk reduction for some diseases is outweighed by the increased risk of cancers linked to alcohol consumption.

# It aids sleep?

Although alcohol may help us get to sleep as it is a sedative, it doesn’t allow good quality sleep and actually disrupts sleep. This is mainly due to aldehydes and ketone production during its’ processing in the body.

# Muscle impact

Alcohol intake reduces anabolic signaling (i.e. it reduces muscle growth) and inhibits muscle recovery. Whilst a couple of drinks won’t have a massive impact over the long term it can affect muscle growth so if that’s a fitness goal then you’d be wise to reduce consumption.

# Performance

I think everyone knows that alcohol consumption impacts performance – both during and the next day. Alcohol intake dehydrates, impairs glycogen metabolism and disrupts cognitive and neurological function so impacts both physical and mental performance.

# Binge drinking

Binge drinking is classified as more than 4-5 units of alcohol in a single sitting (women 4 drinks, Men 5). That’s not actually a huge amount for many people and would probably mean many social occasions would be classified as ‘binge drinking’ when perhaps you viewed them as ‘moderate’ . So once again the term ‘moderation’ actually constitutes far less alcohol consumption than we realise.

# Weight loss

When it comes to weight loss the main issues with alcohol consumption are the additional calories (7 cals per gram) and the decisions we make around food when under the influence or hung over the next day. If you can opt for lighter calorie and/or smaller drinks and make goal-orientated food decisions when consuming alcohol, there is no reason you can’t include it in your diet and lose weight but it does require an awareness of the impact it could have .

Happy Tuesday 🤗xx

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

What you think is slowing weight loss….

Dr Nancy P

What you think is slowing weight loss…. 🤔

This is a bit of a tough love post. We all do it and we all want to find reasons to explain why we aren’t losing weight but most of the time the reasons people come up with (often thanks to social media/media ) aren’t likely to be their main issues.

# ‘I have a slow metabolism.”

Whilst a small percentage of the population do have a slow metabolism the reality is that, on average, studies show that obese individuals have similar or faster metabolisms than lean individuals.

# ‘It’s my hormones’

Hormones are often blamed but rarely are we specific which hormones or how they are actually affecting weight loss. Some hormones can affect weight loss by increasing hunger or decreasing energy expenditure e.g. thyroid hormones. However most people haven’t actually had their hormone levels tested – if you really think your hormones are at the wrong levels then you need to go get yourself tested. Forget weight loss, it’s a medical issue and can have serious health implications. If you have a hormonal problem, you need an endocrinologist, not someone on social media trying to sell you a new diet plan or supplement.

# Macro ratios

It must be because I’m not eating enough protein or my carb percentage is wrong…. Meanwhile you’re overeating your calories … but yeah it’s definitely the fact you’re having 40 percent protein instead of 45 percent. It’s not. Calories are king. The finer details of specific percentages of nutrients are really irrelevant for most people – unless you have a medical condition or you’re a professional athlete.

# Specific nutrients

One of the most common things people blame is specific nutrients: sugar, carbs, artificial sweeteners, meat, fat etc . In fact research has shown people lose equal weight regardless of what they eat so long as calories are controlled.

So what’s actually preventing weight loss? We cling to these other reasons because they take the responsibility away from ourselves. Meanwhile people are over eating at the weekends, aren’t aware of the cals in certain ‘healthy’ foods, are inconsistent and only sticking with things for a week or two, drinking lots of alcohol and aren’t really being honest about what they’re doing (perhaps subconsciously). Yes some people have genetic and environmental circumstances which make it harder to lose weight but that’s rare. So before you blame metabolism/hormones/sugar/carbs and throw your money at another fad diet / lifestyle trend just stop and think about what you’re actually consuming and how.

🤗xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Carb Truths

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Carb Truths 🥖

There are a lot of myths out there about carbs and there is also a lot of unnecessary fear mongering, so here are a few truths.

# They’re crucial

Technically we CAN survive without carbs but they are absolutely essential for optimal human performance. They are fuel for our brains and muscles and without them you’ll struggle with energy levels and athletic performance.

# They’re not unhealthy

Those that say “carbs are unhealthy” are clearly forgetting about whole-grains, fruit and veg. Many carbs are filled with fibre and an array of micronutrients and even more refined carbs are crucial for fuelling us day to day and in high intensity performance.

# Glycemic Index and blood sugar

People often talk about the glycemic index of a food being important – a low GI means a lower blood sugar response. However even low GI foods aren’t necessarily better because the GI is impacted by ripeness, how a food is cooked, what foods are eaten with it (it’s the GI of the entire meal that matters), how it’s processed etc. More importantly, the glycemic response is different from one person to another, and also in the same person from day to day.

So when it comes to blood sugar, it is not the sugar content of a food that is most important. The total amount of that particular food that you consume (glycemic load) is more important. The individual (genetic differences) in glucose responses and handling is also of major importance.

# Processed/refined carbs are bad

Processed and refined carbohydrate sources have had their bran and germ removed so are more rapidly digested. They’re ideal for fuelling exercise. They’re often less filling and easier to overeat so can lead to over consumption but there is nothing inherently bad, toxic or fattening about them

# Carbs are king for high intensity exercise

Carbs provide energy at a more rapid rate than we can synthesize from fatty acids.

If you are a regular exerciser then you need carbs to fuel your workouts and to replenish muscle glycogen. It’s also the ideal fuel for your brain.

So don’t be afraid of eating carbs!

Happy Tuesday 🤗xx

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

Just a tub of ice cream..

Dr Nancy P

Just a tub of ice cream.. 🍨

I am a big ice cream lover, and even more so now we’re moving towards spring and summer!

If you’re watching a movie or you’ve had a tough day or just fancy some dessert you may be tempted to grab a tub of ice cream

and a spoon and tuck in! And once you start a tub it’s gone before you know it isn’t it? A portion is supposedly two scoops but that can be quite hard to stick to! However if you’re trying to lose or maintain weight it might not be possible to accommodate an entire tub in your calories.

In this example the tub of Häagen-Dazs comes in at around 1265 cals. One option would be to swap to a low calorie alternative (such as Oppo, Halo top, Aldi own brand, etc ) and you’d probably spend around 400 cals max on an entire tub. But sometimes you don’t actually want the lower calorie version or you may prefer the taste of the original Häagen-Dazs. In which case then maybe the better option is to go for the mini tubs instead. One of these is only 262 cals. So technically you could even have 2 or 3 and still be saving some calories!

So if you do want to enjoy some Ice cream but save some cals try going for the mini tubs instead of the full size ones.

🤗xx

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

Weight loss is rarely linear….

Dr Nancy P

Weight loss is rarely linear…. 📉

I’ve had to remind a few clients of this recently so I thought it was worth re-sharing. Most people measure their fat loss progress by stepping on scales. This can create an all or nothing mentality and can impact not only your happiness but your behaviour. If the scales don’t go down when you’ve been ‘good’ then what’s the point? You may as well throw in the towel and enjoy that cake!

Weight loss is rarely linear. It’s normal for your weight to fluctuate on a day-to-day basis. There will be days where your scale weight goes up, just like there will be days where your weight will drop, and there will also be days (maybe even weeks) where your weight will stay exactly the same. Your weight can fluctuate up to 6kg during the day depending on what you eat and drink, and how you exercise. If you drink 2-3 litres of water a day that’s up to 3kg. Then how much do you pee, sweat and breathe out over the day? It’s impossible to measure. Our bodies are mainly water so changes in hydration cause significant weight fluctuations.

In addition a bowel full of food, a big meal the night before, fibrous or salty meals, and menstrual cycle hormone changes can all influence weight and cause greater daily fluctuations so real change can be hidden. Exercise can affect the scale both ways; if, after a workout, you’ve refuelled properly your muscles will be full of glycogen and water. On the other hand if you’ve sweated loads your weight will drop due to dehydration. Alcohol does the same; it’s a diuretic so will dehydrate you initially, but can cause cravings for salty foods leading to water retention.

For many of us, seeing that weight go up, despite ‘being good’, can make us give up. It’s vital to trust the process and think long term. This graph is real client data. Look at how the weight fluctuates and look at the overall trend. By trusting the process and not giving up when the scales went up they’ve continued their weight loss over time.

We’re conditioned to focus on weight but instead try to use other measures e.g. items of clothing and how they fit, or cm measurements etc. If you must step on the scales then look at averages over time rather than daily variations and focus on long term trends.

🤗 xx