Category: Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Are super foods super? 🫐

Green tea, açai, blueberries, avocado, kale… just a few of the supposed super foods which can ‘detox’ your body, lose pounds, even cure cancer! How super are they really? A quick google search reveals thousands of articles and products relating to super foods. Many of these relate either to some supplement, product, weight loss program or some other sales pitch. You rarely see true nutrition experts (qualified nutritionists/ dieticians) using the term, many of whom dispute that particular

foods have an specific magical health benefit claimed by their advocates. People are however willing to pay more for foods perceived as healthy and these superfood labels aim to cash in on this.

So are there such things a superfoods? The short answer – no. Yes many of these foods have good nutritional profiles and may be higher in particular micronutrients but that doesn’t make them any better than many other foods. So what makes them super? Essentially a combination of poor scientific research / cherry picked research, catchy headlines and marketing campaigns from food producers.

Really a superfood should be one that not only keeps you well nourished, but that also provides pleasure and enjoyment to eat and makes you feel good. In that respect almost any food could be super, especially within the context of a balanced diet. So don’t be distracted by the latest, overhyped, trendy ‘superfood’ – instead focus on eating a variety of foods, including a range of fruit and veg, and those that taste good to you!

Happy Tuesday 🤗xx

Tuesday Tip: Why lift weights? 🏋🏻

There are a lot of misconceptions and fears around lifting weights – especially for women. Many people believe lifting weights is only something you should do if you want to build ‘big’ muscles and will result in a certain, often termed ‘bulky’, look. Whilst altering body composition to achieve that look is valid reason to lift weights there are loads of other important reasons, not related to aesthetics, which are even more important as we age.

# Strong musculoskeletal system

Lifting weights improves the strength of our entire musculoskeletal system – muscles, ligaments, tendons, joints and bones. This helps us stay mobile, strong and safe and far less prone to injuries and health concerns such as osteoporosis.

# Independence

As we age we lose muscle mass which means we lose strength and bones become more brittle and prone to fractures etc. By lifting weights you maintain bone strength and muscle mass meaning as you age you can maintain your independence – get up without assistance, carry your groceries, lift heavy stuff, and are less likely to break bones if you do fall.

# Improved power

Power depends on the ability to generate force. As you get older you have to continue challenging your nervous system to be stable, powerful and coordinated. We lose power at almost twice the rate we lose strength. Power enables you to stop yourself if you fall, stop your children running out in front of a car, lift bags onto the kitchen side etc. Lifting weights aids in power development and maintenance.

# Proprioception

This is the awareness of your body’s position and movement in space and is a component of balance. Lifting weights improves your awareness of what your body is doing and how it’s moving. This improves coordination and is vital for daily movement.

# Resilience

Any form of fitness training requires you to challenge yourself, learn new skills, be consistent and willing to put yourself out of your comfort zone. This encourages mental and physical resilience and can help you manage stressful situations.

So lifting weights isn’t just about your looks – it’s vital to loads of aspects of your life, health and well-being. So if you’re not already then consider adding some form

of weight training (be it a class or in the gym) to your workout schedule.

Happy Tuesday 🤗xx

Tuesday Tip: Why you overeat 🍕

Overeating can be an issue for everyone and whilst there are many reasons for it which don’t relate to the food itself (e.g. emotional eating, binge eating etc), there are some more general scenarios which make it much ‘easier’ to overeat.

Before I start I want to make it very clear that none of these foods are ‘bad’ and there is no reason at all why you shouldn’t include them in your diet, in fact I’d never recommend totally cutting any food out because it’s just not sustainable long term. However, there are certain foods that are more likely to lead to over eating. Foods that are high in sugar, salt and fat, such as pizza, ice cream, cakes etc cause a dopamine response in the brain. This means that eating them makes you feel good – as a result you will want to eat more to get that reward again. Having these foods isn’t bad and you shouldn’t cut them out completely but it’s important to be aware of the effect they have and to be mindful when you do have them. This also doesn’t mean you’re ‘addicted’ to sugar etc – you’re not – you’re just eating high-reward foods which makes you want to eat more.

So if you’re susceptible to overeating certain foods then it might be sensible not to have them around all the time e.g. If you know you can’t stop at one biscuit it might be better not to have a cupboard full of biscuits, but just buy them now and then instead.

Happy Tuesday 🤗xx

Tuesday Tip: Diet and Sleep Quality 😴

I recently wrote about the link between sleep and fat loss and how increased sleep can aid fat loss. I discussed ways to help aid sleep but one other factor that impacts sleep quality is diet.

Sleep quality can be characterized by the amount of slow wave sleep (SWS) & rapid eye movement (REM) sleep one gets at night. As sleep progresses these 2 stages occur with greater duration. SWS has a restorative function and is known as deep sleep. Both SWS and REM are involved in memory consolidation.

Studies have found that certain nutrients can influence sleep quality. Increased saturated fat and decreased fibre intake reduces SWS , increased night time wake ups, and decreased overall sleep quality.

Alcohol consumption decreases REM sleep, whilst caffeine is linked to delayed sleep

onset (difficulty falling asleep) and decreased sleep quality. I’m addition larger portions or eating large meals just before bed also disrupts sleep due to the thermogenic effect of digestion.

In contrast increased carbohydrate consumption is linked to faster sleep onset (falling asleep faster), and increased protein and dairy can promote longer sleep duration. This is particularly true for tryptophan rich protein sources such as milk, yogurt, turkey,chicken, fish, eggs, pumpkin seeds, beans, peanuts and leafy green veggies. The idea of a nighttime glass of milk aiding sleep comes from the fact it’s rich in tryptophan and natural melatonin

Antioxidant (Vit C, E & A) and magnesium consumption not only aids recovery from exercise but may also affects sleep since their regulation is influenced by pro-inflammatory cytokines which promote sleep.

So what’s the takeaway here? No takeaway that’s for sure!

Avoid large meals, alcohol and caffeine close to bedtime. Instead have a balanced light meal including carbs, protein and dairy (if you eat it) and green veggies to aid sleep. And if you need a snack later on consider something like a bowl of cereal with milk for example.

Happy Tuesday 🤗xx