Tag: healthy snacks

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Beat the Autumn Blues

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Beat the Autumn Blues 🍂

So Autumn is well and truly here; cooler, darker evenings and mornings. For me, and many of my clients and class members this is a tough transition. It’s hard to find motivation to continue regular exercise, and we crave warming, comfort foods.

Low energy, low mood and low motivation makes us want to hibernate rather than work out. So how can you keep that summer mojo going? Focus on shorter workouts if you’re struggling to find motivation for long sessions. Aim for 30-45 mins of high intensity exercise 3 x week: a class, a home hiit workout, or a cycle or run. On other days do something less intense that you enjoy: walk, jog, swim, or do pilates/yoga.

Find a gym buddy; it’s harder to skip that workout when you’re doing it with someone else. Join a colleague for a lunchtime run, or meet up with a friend at the gym or at a class. The social side of fitness plays a massive role in keeping you on track.

Try to sneak exercise in whenever you can: park further away, take the stairs, walk over to speak to colleagues in the office rather than phoning or try a walking meeting with colleagues. If you’re watching the kids play sport then walk the sideline instead of standing still.

Exercise isn’t just for losing weight, it’s great for stress relief and at this time of year when things can be a bit manic it’s a great release. The endorphins will lift your mood and help energise you. Make the most of those bright autumnal days and go for a walk outside.

Focus on warming, filling foods like soups and casseroles. I also like to stew up a load of fruit (apples, pears, plums, berries – whatever!) and use it as a snack or pud. Warm it up, sprinkle some oats or a little cereal on it and a dollop of Greek yoghurt – a great comforting dish!

Oh and just because it’s not baking hot you still need to be drinking plenty of water. It’s even more important to ensure you’re properly hydrated at this time of year as it’s when most of us forget – so get sipping while you workout!

Don’t let the changing seasons get you down – embrace it – enjoy it and have some fun this Autumn 🍁

Happy Tuesday 🤗

Xx

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

Full of sugar… or is it?

Dr Nancy P

Full of sugar… or is it?🍌 🍫

Have you ever been told you shouldn’t be having (insert snack of choice) because it’s FULL of sugar? As if sugar is something that’s inherently bad? Wouldn’t a banana be a better option than a snickers for example?

The reality is there is nothing ‘bad’ about sugar. We need sugar – it’s a great source of easy energy and it also tastes great. Sugar is made up of two components, fructose and glucose. The molecular structure is the same no matter where they come from. Fruit contains fructose, glucose and also some sucrose (a combination of fructose and glucose). Sweets/ ice creams etc will tend to be higher in sucrose.

This is a great example – a snickers actually has considerably less sugar than a medium banana. The snickers does have more calories, and fewer micronutrients than the banana and you’d probably feel fuller for longer with the banana thanks to the additional fibre etc. The fibre slows digestion making it more filling (and good for your gut heath). This means you’re less likely to want to eat more later, and it’s better for your blood sugar levels. So objectively the banana is a better choice health-wise.

Foods also provide other things – such as pleasure, convenience etc. So if you fancy a snickers as an afternoon pick me up then go for it – as long as it fits your calorie goal for the day. If you prefer a banana than go for that! In terms of the impact on weight/fat loss there will be very little difference as long as you stay within your daily calories and are aware the snickers will be a less filling option. And in terms of sugar content the banana is actually higher.

I’m not suggesting the snickers is better for you than a banana, nor am I suggesting you avoid fruit in favour of chocolate lol! I’m just suggesting we recognise that no foods are ‘bad’, and that as part of a balanced, healthy diet you can have both! Sometimes the snickers will be what you need, sometimes the banana!

Enjoy 🤗

xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Menopause and fat loss

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Menopause and fat loss ❤️

Menopause and peri menopause are unavoidable for all women and bring lots of new challenges when it comes to weight loss and maintenance. There’s a lot of fear and misinformation surround menopause and fat loss, and many women believe it’s impossible to achieve their goals post menopause. It couldn’t be further form the truth – and loads of my clients are proof of this.

So yes menopause/peri menopause causes a number of challenging symptoms and changes in the body. Aside from a whole range of general symptoms, when it comes to fat loss specific issues include:

⁃ lack of sleep (as a result of hormone changes and hot flushes etc )

⁃ Irritability/mood changes

⁃ Change in areas of fat deposition (increased belly fat)

⁃ A reduced bmr/ calorie requirement

⁃ Reduced muscle mass

Now whilst all of these are very real issues that do impact fat loss, none make it impossible and none change the basic premise and approach to losing fat – which is creating a calorie deficit. Lack of sleep will affect appetite, as will emotional changes, these both mean you may find it harder to control your calories and be more likely to overeat /drink. A reduced bmr and age related reduction in muscle mass also impact the number of calories you need. Changes in fat deposition mean more likelihood of fat gain around the mid section.

However none of these change the basic laws of thermodynamics – if you create a calorie deficit you will still lose fat (you just have to make sure you’re targeting the right calorie goal!).

But there are some things that will help enable you to create and stick to this deficit

⁃ prioritising sleep – try meditation apps, fans, cooling sprays etc

⁃ Resistance / weight train – this will help preserve /build muscle mass, protect bone density, increase calorie expenditure

⁃ Enjoy any food you want of course but ensure you’re including high fibre and high protein foods to help keep you full and satiated.

⁃ Be aware of hunger and try to learn whether it’s true hunger or emotional hunger. Real hunger tends to build slowly, and is ‘cured’ with any food. Emotional hunger tends to come on suddenly, drives you to your ‘comfort’ foods and isn’t satisfied.

⁃ Most importantly talk to your gp or a menopause specialist and don’t be afraid to use HRT to help manage symptoms.

Happy Tuesday 🤗

Xx

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

Just a few sweets… vs a disaster!

Dr Nancy P

Just a few sweets… vs a disaster! 🍬

It’s very easy when trying to lose weight and control your calories to fall into the trap of feeling massively guilty about what you may view as ‘falling off the wagon’. Sitting down and demolishing half a packet of biscuits with your afternoon coffee is often something that becomes a ‘disaster’ for the diet and can result in a spiral of guilt. This can then derail you for the rest of the day or week – meaning one small instance of overeating becomes much larger.

In contrast it’s often very easy to not notice the odd nibble here and there. Grabbing a chocolate from the bowl in the office as you walk past, popping another one in your mouth while you wait for coffee, just having a couple of Percy pigs your friend offers you, and grabbing a few of the kids Colin the Caterpillar sweets. It’s likely that if spread over the day you may not even notice you’ve had these, and you may not even remember to factor them into your daily calories.

A bite here, a nibble there, just one sweet here… it’s nothing right? Yet the actual calorie impact is significant – 390 cals in this example. Whereas in contrast half a packet of Oreos would be viewed as a total disaster. One is laden with guilt, the other you barely notice. Neither is a great approach – the important thing is to be aware of the calories in what you’re eating. This means you need to consider all the little extras you might not think of as important, but equally means you need to remove the guilt from some perceived ‘disasters’ – as they’re often not as bad as you actually think!

As always knowledge is power! If you know what you’re eating you can have whatever you want and make it fit your goals!

Enjoy

🤗

Xx

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

On track.. or blown it?…

Dr Nancy P

On track.. or blown it?… 🤯

It’s very easy to get sucked into the idea that certain foods are inherently “good” and others are “bad”. I hear this sort of thing so often… a client may be feeling pleased that they’ve had a “good” snack – of 40g mixed nuts, and are therefore ‘on track’ . On another day they would be beating themselves up because they had a really “bad” day because they had a pack of chicken nuggets. They often feel like they’re blown everything, they’re disappointed and angry with themselves and feeling guilty.

Now I’m not suggesting the nuggets are a “healthy” option, nor am I suggesting it’s got more nutritional benefits than the nuts. They’re both very different nutritionally, and they both taste very different too. But for many people trying to lose fat or weight they might naturally assume that the nuggets are a terrible option and that by having it they’ve ruined their day (diet -wise). Whereas if they chose the nuts they would be feeling guilt-free and virtuous and like they were on track. They may even not track the calories because the nuts are such a ‘good’ option. However in actual fact the ‘good’ snack has slightly more calories and a lot more fat, than the 6 nuggets. The nuggets have slightly fewer calories and vastly more protein, so are likely to keep you satisfied for longer too.

So if you had to grab a box of nuggets (or just fancied one) when you’re out and about, then it’s not THAT bad. I’m certainly not suggesting your whole diet be made up of “junk food”, but it’s important to be aware of the facts to avoid unnecessary guilt. And remember that lots of the foods we perceive as being “good” or “healthy” may in fact be higher calorie and therefore unhelpful for weight loss if you’re consuming them without realising the calories. At the end of the day, as always, it comes down to calories. If you want to lose fat or weight, then you need to be at a calorie deficit. It’s important to still have foods you enjoy as part of an overall balanced diet. So don’t sweat it if you end up with a McDonald’s now and then if you want it, but then have a dinner with a range of whole foods and vegetables etc.

Be curious about what you’re putting in your body, look at the nutritional labels on food and don’t always assume the “health” food is the best choice.

🤗

Xx