Tag: detox

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday tip: Calories Count

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Calories Count 📝

There’s so much info out there about what you ‘need’ to do to lose weight. Across all the fad diets, magic pills, super shakes and eating strategies only one method stands the test of time. It’s not trendy or marketable, has no fancy name, but it’s the core of why these diets work; energy management (calories in vs out).

All these diets appear very different on the surface; Low carb, paleo, Atkins, 5:2, bodycoach, slimming world, weight watchers etc all ultimately function on these principles. They restrict calories indirectly, giving you a list of foods that make it improbable you’ll be in a calorie surplus. Although you’re not counting calories, you’re often restricting them; cut carbs- you’re likely to end up cutting calories; follow a ‘syns’ or points system – you’ll cut calories; go paleo – you’ll be cutting food groups and calories.

If you manage your calorie intake to create a deficit, you WILL lose weight. This is supported by hundreds of scientific studies. It’s not coincidence or magic. Yes there are different ways of doing this – and yes there are things that influence how easy or hard it is to create that deficit eg hormonal differences impact on how food is digested and utilised, metabolic adaptations to training and dieting make accurately estimating energy requirements and expenditure difficult, and there are errors in both how we log the food we eat and the databases of calorie values we use. BUT that doesn’t change the fact that if you consume less energy than you expend – you will lose weight!

Does this mean you have to count and track calories? No, not if you don’t want to, but of all the methods out there it’s got the best chance of helping you understand what your energy requirements are and how much you need to consume. You can still do any diet that works for you, and choose to log or not log your calories – but when weight loss stalls it’s a great place to start. It’s still an approximation, and although you need to do some experimentation to find the perfect balance, it’s a verified way to approach your goals.

Happy Tuesday 🤗 xx

Recipes

The Ultimate Breakfast Smoothie

Dr Nancy P

This is my go-to breakfast smoothie almost every day. It’s full of goodness and absolutely delicious. It’s so important to have breakfast but sometimes it’s hard to eat a big meal early in the morning, especially if you workout early. This smoothie is perfect pre-workout fuel – light enough to make sure you don’t feel sick but satisfying enough to keep you going. It’s great to grab on the go too. The protein powder keeps you full and the L-glutamine is great for muscle recovery.

IMG_6810

You can change things around with this – use different nut butters if you like, add other bits and bobs eg frozen berries, guarana, chilli powder, chia seeds etc but this is my favourite base.

This mixture usually makes 2 – 3 shakes and it’s fine in the fridge for a few days.

You will need:

2 cups non-dairy milk (almond, soya, oat etc)

2 large or 3 medium Bananas

1 tbsp Cashew nut butter

4 scoops of Protein Powder (I use About time Vegan Protein powder but you can use any you like)

2 scoops L-glutamine powder (optional but good for muscle recovery – I use Myprotein L-glutamine powder)

2 tsp ground Cinnamon

2 tsp Coffee (decaf or caffeinated – your choice)

1 – 2 tbsp raw Cacao powder

1 cup Ice

Sprinkling of Chia seeds

Put all the ingredients in to a blender and blend until smooth.


IMG_6808IMG_6811

Pour into glasses and sprinkle the chia seeds over or pour into protein shakers and pop in the fridge if not drinking immediately. Enjoy!

IMG_1080.JPGIMG_6812

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: How to get back on the Wagon

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday tip: how to get back on the wagon 🍟🍔🍕

Last week I told you calories count, which they do, so what happens when you splurge and blow your calories? Should you just throw in the towel and write the day off? Before you beat yourself up for blowing it, or find yourself stuck in a day of over eating , try these tips to get back on track.

#1 Chin up

Stay positive – do you’ve fallen off the wagon? So what – one meal or one calorie splurge isn’t the end of the world. Refocus and think about why you’re trying to lose weight – what’s your goal? Marathon? Wedding? Holiday? Keep up with the kids in the park? Remember why you’re doing this – and remember there are peaks and troughs – the journey can still be down even with those bumps on the way.

# 2 Make the next meal healthy

Make the next meal you have after a splurge a healthy one. Don’t start tomorrow, start now. You’ll feel better for it and it will get you back on track.

#3 Bank some calories

Do not starve yourself or severely restrict your calories after a blip as you’ll only end up ravenous and more likely to splurge again – but you can bank a few calories by just eating 100 – 200 cals less for the next few days. You’ll hardly notice that cut and it will just help to buffer the effects of over eating.

# 4 Get active

You can’t put exercise bad food but you can burn a few extra calories and make yourself feel better but getting active. So go for a walk, cycle, swim, grab the skipping rope and do a 2 Min skip – anything!

# 5 Think!

Have a think about what drove the calorie splurge? No need to beat yourself up about it but it is worth thinking through why you binged. Did you end up filling the cupboards with junk that you know you can’t resist? Were you bored? Hungry? No healthy options to hand? Emotional? Did your friends persuade you to have that extra drink? Just try to workout why? If the junk in your kitchen is too tempting stop buying it, if you’re eating (or drinking) for social reasons embracing the power of “no”, or ask for your friends’ support etc.

Happy Tuesday 🤗xx