Category: Nutrition and Calorie Tips

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

‘Bad’ fries or ‘good’ nuts…

Dr Nancy P

‘Bad’ fries or ‘good’ nuts… 🍟

If you had snacked on a bag of small fries you would probably be feeling guilty that you’d chosen a ‘bad’ option. In contrast if you’d had 50g of Brazil nuts you would probably be polishing your halo for having such a ‘good’ snack.

Now before anyone jumps down my throat I am not suggesting Mcdonald’s fries are healthier than Brazil nuts. From a nutritional point of view the Brazil nuts are definitely a better choice. They’ve also been shown to reduce HDL cholesterol levels amongst other benefits. They contain heart-healthy fatty acids, such as polyunsaturated fats, and are rich in antioxidants, minerals, and fibre. They are the best source of the mineral selenium which is essential for the immune system, thyroid and cell function. They are calorie dense though.

McDonald’s fries on the other hand have no redeeming features other than the fact they may taste good. They’re not a nutrient dense food.

However they are lower calorie than the Brazil nuts.

So if your goal was fat loss and you decided to just replace those fries you have every Saturday afternoon with the Brazil nuts because they’re ‘good’ you’d actually be consuming more calories. Thereby not helping your goal.

Am I suggesting you should choose fries over Brazil nuts? No of course not! But if you enjoy occasional bags of fries then have them. If you like Brazil nuts then have them. But just educate yourself on the number of calories and consume them within your total calorie goal. Blindly choosing foods just because they’re perceived to be ‘good’ isn’t a sensible approach. No foods are inherently good or bad – they just have different costs and benefits. The Brazil nuts give you lots of great nutrients, the fries may help you stay on track and give you some pleasure – both are fine!

Enjoy 🤗xx

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

‘Lunch isn’t great, I tend to have a sandwich…’

Dr Nancy P

‘Lunch isn’t great, I tend to have a sandwich…’ 🥪

Something I hear a lot from my clients is that ‘their lunch isn’t great as they just ended up having a sandwich’….. There’s a perception that a sandwich is an inherently bad choice when it comes to lunch. Often this stems from the idea that carbs (aka bread) are bad or ‘dirty’ and should be avoided. I hear them berating themselves for going for the sandwich option.

In contrast something like the Pret Californian salmon salad is viewed as a great option – because it’s ‘clean’ and therefore ‘good’. The fact that it’s a salad helps to create this image, and the fact that it’s loaded with protein and good fats from the salmon help too.

In reality both are great lunch options. The salmon salad does contain lots of great nutrients and will certainly fill you up – but with the dressing it’s a hefty 541 calories. The tuna and sweetcorn sandwich on the other hand is only 329 cals, is also loaded with protein and good fats and will also keep you full. It’s also a lot cheaper and more widely available.

So if you have the calories and want the Pret salad – go for it! If you prefer a sandwich, or just find the sandwich a more convenient cost effective option then go for that! It’s a perfect package of carbs, protein and fats to keep you satisfied.

Foods aren’t ‘dirty’ or ‘clean’, or ‘good’ or ‘bad’ – they’re just foods. Aside from fuelling you they also have to fit in to your lifestyle. As part of a balanced diet you can have both of these – totally guilt free!

Enjoy 🤗 xx

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

How weight loss actually works….

Dr Nancy P

How weight loss actually works….

Most people measure their fat loss progress by stepping on the scales. The scale 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 the towel in and enjoy that cake!

But scale weight isn’t a great measure of progress, mainly because it can’t differentiate between muscle, fat, water or anything else. It just measures the relationship your body mass has with gravity. Sometimes body composition can change without any weight change, e.g. if you gain additional muscle, lose bodyfat and improve hydration you could see minimal weight change. Fat and muscle weigh the same but 1kg of fat is approx 4 times larger than 1kg of muscle, meaning you could very well be smaller and heavier.

Your weight also fluctuates wildly every day. Between morning and afternoon your weight can fluctuate up to 6kg 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, fibrous or salty meals, and hormonal changes can all influence weight and cause greater daily fluctuations so real change can be hidden. For example, I weighed myself Saturday night, then first thing Sunday and again at 1pm – there was 2kg increase overnight, but a 3 kg loss during Sunday morning! I obviously didn’t put on 2kg overnight or lose 3kg of fat in 6 hours. Depending when I weighed could massively impact how I felt about myself and my progress.

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 really can’t help stepping on the scales then look at averages over time rather than individual daily variations and focus on trends the long term. 🤗 xx

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

‘I’m trying to lose weight so I’m avoiding carbs ….

Dr Nancy P

‘I’m trying to lose weight so I’m avoiding carbs ….’ 🍞

There is a common misconception that carbs are inherently ‘bad’ and that in order to lose weight you need to cut them out or avoid them completely. This usually means people cut out bread, pasta, rice, potatoes etc.

However they continue to eat fruit and veg without thinking twice when many actually contain more carbs. For example compared to a slice of bread a small Banana contains more calories, 3 times as many carbs and 15 times as much sugar! Now that doesn’t make the banana bad either – but why would you avoid the bread if you like it, yet happily eat the banana if you’re trying to avoid carbs?

In reality there is no reason at all to cut carbs from your diet. You can lose weight with or without carbs – it’s all about calories. Now obviously some people have medical reasons to avoid things like bread (coeliacs etc) but for the majority of people these foods are fine. The reason you may see weight loss when cutting these sorts of carbs is simply because you’re reducing your overall calorie intake. However unless you never want to eat carbs again then you’re not really setting yourself up for sustainable, long term weight management.

Obviously different carbs have different pros and cons – complex carbs will keep you fuller longer, whilst simple carbs (fruits mostly) will provide a faster hit of energy, you’ll get different nutrients from the different types too.

It’s important to have a balanced diet – including a range of carbs from bread to fruit. What works for you may not work for someone else and you may prefer to reduce consumption carbs, but it’s important to be informed about what’s actually in the food you’re eating before you make that choice. Cutting out whole food groups is never a sensible or sustainable approach though.

Personally I enjoy all sorts of carbs – from bread, to fruit, to pasta, to potatoes – to doughnuts! Eat the carbs you like and enjoy and just be mindful of the calories! 🤗

Xx

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

Chicken is already high protein….

Dr Nancy P

Chicken is already high protein…. 🍗

When it comes to snacking a high protein option can be a good choice – it helps to keep you fuller for longer and more satisfied. This in turn can mean you’re less likely to snack again later or over eat at your main meals and so can help with weight loss or management by helping you stick to your daily calorie goal.

As I’ve said before many brands capitalise on this by marketing their products based on their protein content.

This is a another great example of that marketing. The fridge raider slow roasted chicken bites are marketed as ‘powered by protein’ and yes they make a convenient snack. But they actually only have 12g of protein for 124 cals and are around 91% chicken.

Chicken on the other hand – which is readily available in pre cooked snack size packs – just like the fridge raiders, gives you 16.2g protein for only 79 cals and it’s basically just chicken (98%)! It’s also a lot cheaper too!

So if you’re looking for a meat based protein snack then just save the calories and money and buy some actual chicken!🤗xx