Tag: cutdownsugar

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

‘Healthy’ Muesli vs ‘Unhealthy’ Cocoa Pops!

Dr Nancy P

‘I have a really healthy breakfast…’ Often people will tell me they start the day off really well, with a ‘healthy’ breakfast… of muesli (or some similar ‘healthy’ cereal). Those same people would probably scoff at those starting their day with a bowl of cocoa pops. Given the choice most people would assume the muesli is the better option but is it really?

A 30g portion of a standard supermarket fruit and nut muesli comes in at 154 cals and almost 8g sugar – but who actually has 30g? A more normal serving would be closer to 100g in which case you’re really racking up the calories and sugar.

In contrast the cocoa pops are only 115 cals and 5.2g sugar for a 30g portion.

When it comes to fat loss it’s the calories that matter – create a calorie deficit and you will lose fat/weight. So in this scenario you’d be better off with the cocoa pops. Now there are some additional benefits to the muesli – increased fibre, and a little extra protein and fat which will help keep you a little fuller, but the differences are not as large as you think. Most cereals are fortified with vitamins and minerals anyway so you’re not missing out on as much as you think with the cocoa pops.

Now personally, despite being a massive chocolate fiend, I am not a fan of cocoa pops at brekkie – but not because I think they’re that much worse than muesli – rather I just don’t want sweet chocolates cereal at that time in the morning lol!

However if you love cocoa pops and you enjoy a bowl for brekkie then go for it! If you love the muesli then have it! But if you’re eating muesli because you think it’s healthier then you’re better off not bothering. As long as you’re having a balanced diet you’ll get plenty of nutrients in throughout the day so if you love cocoa pops enjoy them! 🥣 😋

Whichever you choose – read the labels, check the calories and be mindful of your portion size but most importantly enjoy it!

Xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: How to curb sugar cravings

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: How to curb sugar cravings 🍬

Although as I said last week, sugar isn’t the devil, and won’t make you fat (excess cals do), those sugar cravings can still lead you to over eat. Sugar cravings can hit even when you’ve had a satisfying meal, so here are some foods to help curb those cravings.

#1 Fruit

Fresh fruit – specifically strawberries, raspberries, pineapples etc are a great option. They’re low cal, and contain fibre (unlike fruit juice) which slows the absorption of the fruit sugars. Have them with greek yoghurt after dinner for a creamy snack, or blend with a frozen banana for an ice cream like dessert!

# Almonds

Full of protein and fats, they not only fill you up but help to control blood sugar so can reduce cravings. They keep you fuller for longer meaning you’re less likely to have an energy slump and reach for the junk.

# Pumpkin seeds

Rich in magnesium, as well as protein, fibre and fats, these are a great option if you’re craving chocolate. Often chocolate cravings can be linked to lower magnesium levels. Toast them with cinnamon for a tasty snack.

# Greek yoghurt

Rich in protein and good fats – again this will keep you fuller. It can help to support your gut’s natural bacteria, as recent studies have shown some sugar cravings are linked to imbalanced gut microbiomes. Plus it feels like a treat as it’s creamy and decadent. Mix with berries for the win!

# Apples or celery with peanut butter

A combo of fibre in the celery or apple, and the protein and fat in the peanut butter make this a great option to help beat cravings. The apple sweetness will help too. Particularly good as a mid afternoon snack or before an evening workout.

So the perfect way to help those cravings is probably my current favourite dessert – a big bowl of berries and pineapple, a dollop of greek yoghurt, tsp of peanut butter and then a sprinkle of seeds and nuts (not too many mind!) – smooth, creamy, sweet and a little crunch from the nuts – perfect!

Try it and see what you think!

Happy Tuesday 🤗

xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Sugar doesn’t make you fat

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Sugar doesn’t make you fat 🍪

Sugar has been vilified as the main cause of obesity, with people claiming it results in more fat storage than any other nutrient and that it alters your metabolism. This is simply not true. Sugar is a carbohydrate and on it’s own it contains 4 cals per gram, and no other nutrients or fibre etc that help keep you full. So it’s true that sugar won’t fill you up, and that of course could lead to excessive consumption of more sugar or other foods, but the same applies to any food. You may not feel full but you’re still making a conscious choice to eat more.

100g of sugar alone is 400 calories. However if you consumed 100g worth of sugar inside other foods (e.g. chocolate, fruit, bread, ice cream etc) then you’d be eating well over 1200 cals. Only 400 of those calories are sugar, the other 800 are non-sugar calories within food. Many high sugar foods are high in overall calories anyway – a cookie isn’t bad just because it’s “full of sugar”, it’s also the large amount of fat calories too.

A calorie surplus is what causes you to gain weight. It’s not the sugar in the food, it’s the total calories. The ratio of sugar to other nutrients does impact on food choice (you choose things because they taste good) and because those foods often leave you feeling less full you’re then likely to eat more too. But it isn’t the sugar causing you to gain weight. Eat too much of anything and you will put on fat. In fact a recent study of people who were assumed to be “naturally skinny” actually found that despite some of the participants living off sugary foods they were still lean – why? because they weren’t at a calorie surplus.

So yes, eating or drinking sugar can contribute to weight gain, and it can certainly make it harder to stick to a daily calorie goal, but this is in conjunction with a whole host of nutritional, behaviour and psychological variables that all affect how many TOTAL calories you consume. Sugar itself is not the devil it’s made out to be!

Happy Tuesday 🤗

Xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday tip: Perfect Pineapple

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday tip: Perfect Pineapple 🍍

Last week I talked about beating sugar cravings by increasing fruit intake (amongst other things) and an ideal fruit to have is pineapple! It’s one of my fave fruits and here’s why!

# 1 Guilt-free – it’s low calories, fat free and low in sodium with only 82 cals per serving. It’s a great sweet snack to curb those cravings

# 2 Boost immunity – pineapple contains half your daily recommended dose of vitamin C. This boosts your immune system, prevents heart disease and joint pains and helps prevent colds and flu.

# 3 Bone strength – pineapples contain 75% of the daily recommended dose of manganese, an essential mineral for developing strong bones and connective tissue. Recent studies suggest it also prevents osteoporosis in post-menopausal women, so even more reason to enjoy it.

# 4 Eye Health – pineapples help reduce the risk of macular degeneration, a disease that affects the eyes as people age. It’s a great source of beta-carotene for eye health too.

# 5 Gut health – pineapples are rich in fibre which is essential for intestinal health and linked to reduced risk of colon and bowel cancer and reduces constipation.

# 6 Respiratory health – pineapples contain enzymes called bromelain, which have strong anti-inflammatory properties. They help ease respiratory issues such as asthma, allergies and coughs. They also have mucolytic properties to break up and expel mucus.

# 7 General inflammation – those same bromelains have an anti-inflammatory effect on the rest of the body too – helping with muscle recovery and joint protection

So eat it as it is, throw it in a smoothie? Or grill it for a delicious carameliased dessert but get snacking on some pineapple this week!

Happy Tuesday 🤗

Xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Combat sugar cravings

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Combat sugar cravings 🍬

Reducing sugar has loads of health benefits: boosting the immune system, improving mood and helping reduce calorie intake. But it’s hard to cut back and beat the cravings for sweet things. So after Easter (and no doubt a lot of sugar!) I thought I’d offer tips to combat those cravings.

#1 Regular meals – have balanced meals spread throughout the day to avoid getting overly hungry and reaching for a sugar fix. Ensure meals have a combination of protein, fats and fibre to keep you satisfied.

#2 Sleep – I’ve talked before about how important sleep is. Less sleep means more hunger hormone ghrelin is produced, so you’re likely to eat more. If you’re not getting enough sleep you’re also likely to reach for a sugar high to get you through your day.

#3 Boost natural sugars – try to up your intake of fruits and sweet vegetables early in the day to combat later cravings. Try berries, applies, sweet potato, beetroot etc, but eat them rather than drink their juice. It’s the fibre in them that helps to slow sugar absorption, thereby avoiding the sugar high and subsequent crash.

#4 Boost gut bacteria – recent research shows that gut bacteria affects which foods you crave. Fermented foods like yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi etc actually reduce sugar cravings. They contain probiotics which supplement “good” bacteria in your gut and help them multiply.

#5 Eat Bitter foods – this is a toughie but bitterness counteracts sweet cravings. When you’re dying for something sweet if you can have something bitter instead it will reduce your craving. Things like grapefruit, rocket, radicchio, radishes and kale are good (try kale “crisps” as an easy snack option). Also after eating bitter food sweet foods taste even sweeter which means you can satisfy the craving with less sugar. So something like an apple will satisfy you when usually it wouldn’t.

Your taste buds regenerate every 3 weeks or so, so the longer you reduce your sugar intake and consume more bitter foods, the fewer sweet-craving taste buds you’ll have left making it easier in the long term.

So time to pair all that left over choc with a nice bowl of kale!

Happy Tuesday 🤗

xx