Tag: be snack aware

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

The healthy smoothie deception…

Dr Nancy P

The healthy smoothie deception…. 🥤

You’d probably consider grabbing a bottle of some fruit based smoothie as a healthy option. It may be something you’d grab to go with your sandwich at lunch etc. It seems perfectly reasonable and it’s marketed as 2 of your 5 portions of fruit and veg a day.

On the other hand if I suggested you grab a punnet of strawberries, one and a half apples, a quarter of an orange, a handful of black currants, a bunch of grapes and two bananas to go with your sandwich you’d probably think I’d gone mad! However that’s exactly what you’re doing when you grab a bottle of fruit smoothie.

It would actually be pretty hard to eat that quantity of fruit alongside your lunch without feeling very full, yet we can easily guzzle down 390 cals of smoothie? The fruit itself is virtually the same amount of calories – so what’s the difference?

The difference is bulk, mainly from fibre. The fibre you get in whole fruit is what makes it almost impossible to eat the same quantity of fruit as is in the smoothie. The smoothie strips almost all that fibre out so all you’re getting is sugar and the micronutrients.

There’s nothing wrong with having the smoothie if you want it, and have the calories for it in your day, but I think it is worth stopping and considering the quantity of fruit it compares to. And perhaps if you want something healthy to go with your lunch grabbing a punnet of strawberries instead? 🤗xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Easy Calorie Cuts

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Easy Calorie Cuts ✂️

When you’re trying to lose weight it’s all about being in a calorie deficit so finding ways to cut calories easily without leaving you hungry is key. Here are a few easy cuts that you’ll barely notice.

# 1 Non-stick Pan

Cooking with oils can adds 100s of calories to a meal without contributing much to the taste. So invest a a good non-stick pan and some light 1 cal oil sprays and you can cut those cals without even noticing.

# 2 Skip the condiments

Often we don’t even consider the calories in sauces and dressings. Avoid these sneaky calories by skipping them or going for smaller amounts, or swapping for a lower cal version. Things like balsamic vinegar, mustard and salsa are great options that are lower calorie but pack a punch.

# 3 Reduce liquid calories

We often forget the calories we drink but they can really add up e.g. milk in coffees/teas, soft drinks, smoothies, and booze. Try swapping milky coffees for Americanos, teas for herbal tea, soft drinks for diet versions, and lower calorie alcoholic drinks (e.g. slimline gin and tonic instead of beer)

# 4 Fill up

Opt for more filling foods whenever possible whilst still being mindful of calories. Foods higher in fibre and protein will keep you fuller for longer (but do check the cals). A recent study found foods such as potatoes, fish, oats, apples and oranges, wholewheat pasta, beef, beans, grapes, popcorn and wholemeal bread kept participants fuller for longer so consider including these in your meals.

# 5 Alternatives

Find alternatives for the foods you like that taste good but have less cals. Try swapping your normal ice cream for low calorie ice creams or swapping your dessert/snack to strawberries and 0% Greek yoghurt. If you’re a savoury fan opt for things like popchips instead of crisps, and low fat cheese for a savoury snack (e.g. light mini babybel)

# 6 Spice it up

Adding herbs and seasonings to your meals can add extra flavour to your food and give your meals a kick, without adding any extra calories. Studies have shown it also increases perceptions of fullness.

Happy Tuesday 🤗

Xx

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

The totally nuts protein marketing myth!

Dr Nancy P

The totally nuts protein marketing myth! 🥜

It seems to be the thing at the moment to market snacks as being high protein. This is presumably based on the idea that increased protein can help weight loss (it actually only does this by increasing your feeling of fullness meaning you are less likely to eat more later, thereby keeping your calorie intake lower). This is a great example of a high protein snack…. which is in fact not that high protein. These protein nuts have only 11g protein for 299 cals, which is not really ‘high’. They’ll be priced higher because they’re marketed this way. In contrast a serving of just normal nuts actually contains more protein (13.1g ) for only 4 calories more…

The protein nuts are double the price of the normal nuts… so if you’re choosing them because you like the taste then go for it, but if you’re choosing them because you think they’re a better source of protein then save your pennies, ignore the hype and buy some normal nuts!

Enjoy 🥜 xx

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

Downsize your weekend treats!

Dr Nancy P

Many of us do this – we’re spot on with our calories all week, with a sustainable calorie deficit and then come the weekend we over eat and blow the whole week’s deficit in one go. Many people don’t even realise the extent to which they’re doing this – they feel like they’ve been really ‘good’ all week and yeah they had a few treats at the weekend but they don’t understand why they’re not seeing results.

I understand – it’s the weekend, a chance to relax with family and friends. You buy yourself a bottle of wine, some crisps and chocolate to munch on while watching a movie etc. But very quickly you can rack up thousands of extra calories without even noticing.

I’m not suggesting that you cut out the weekend treats but maybe just consider going for smaller packs of those treats. If you buy the larger sized packs the chances are you’ll eat them all (I know I do!) because you’ve been ‘good all week so you feel you deserve them, because they taste good and because you’re in ‘relax mode’ so you’re less likely to go and weigh out an individual portion.

So maybe consider buying the smaller options. By simply swapping for smaller pack sizes you can save over 2,500 calories! If you buy these in advance, when your will power is stronger, you’ll be set up for an on track, but still enjoyable weekend! And those results will start to show!

🤗 xx