Nutrition for busy people

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In reality, there aren't many 'rules' to a good fat loss centric day of eating. People have this massive list of 'important diet things', which only makes 'eating well' and achieving weight loss, seem out of reach and unattainable. Perceptions that 'eating veg with every meal', 'eating 6 times a day', and 'cold chicken & veg for lunch', matter are all incorrect concepts. It's these sorts of things that don't matter and only make your life harder for no benefit. All you really need to worry about is Calories, protein, and plants which all tie into one another once practically applied.

The above is an example of what would be perfectly fine and appropriate for the individual whos working hours are an absolute mess of work and stress where 'eating & food' is a low priority. It's not going to work for everyone who has busy jobs/days, but I've found that taking 'food thought' away at appropriate times over the day as a useful strategy for my busier, clients. (think corporates)

Breakfast
The protein and plants focus is achieved through the non-fat yogurt and fruit. A small-ish amount of whole grains and healthy fats are added as extras.

Lunch
Too busy to think about eating, but want to crush that drive towards the work office cookie jar? Protein bars are a perfectly okay protein dense food in the context of an overall healthy diet that can sit in your desk drawer, and satisfy those peckish snack food workplace cravings. Bulk the meal up with some filling plants (fruit) that you picked up on the way to work, to fill out your daily fruit requirements.

Dinner
You're back at home, a little more relaxed and keen for a big bowl of food volume. Start with a lean protein and a whole days work of vegetable needs via mixed ingredients. Top it off with a little carb via some high fibre grains, potato or beans. Enhance it with herbs, spices, low-Calorie sauces or passata.

Eat fat to burn fat?

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Many of the common diet trends, myths and ideas are derived from an element of truth that gets misinterpreted by the time it trickles down through to the general population. Companies will often twist the message of research to promote and sell their product.

A classic example is the concept of 'eat fat to burn fat', which in the past and still continues to form the promotion basis of products or diets that align with the high fat, low carb, keto trend.

It's true. If you increase the proportion of fats within your diet your body will indeed increase its propensity to utilise fats as a greater predominance of fuel. 'You burn what you eat'! [1]

But! Fat loss and fat utilisation/burning are not the same thing. Fat utilisation, commonly termed 'burning' just refers to fuel source predominance. For fat loss, or getting leaner a Calorie deficit still needs to be present over time with the ratio and amounts of carbs and fats after Calories, and protein being matched doesn't really matter.

In addition to the above. Predominately utilising fats is not 'better' for sports performance and/or fat loss.

So whilst the idea of 'eat fat to burn fat' is true, and being able to use fats are a fuel source in the absence of glucose (carbohydrates) is a good thing, it's not necessarily better and isn't an outcome that should be specifically sought after.

It's briefly worth noting that training in states of low glucose (carbohydrate) availability may be a good idea for optimising endurance training adaptations, but not in instances where best performance is required such as race day. Most often for most sporting, training endeavors and/or optimisation of the appearance of ones physique the question is 'what is the quantity of CARBOHYDRATES, required to fuel the activity?' Very rarely is that question asked with fats.

If you’re like more clarification on common nutritional trends and terms along with the individual guidance on how you can implement certain strategies to improve your training, recovery, overall health and body composition; reach out to us by clicking the button below and telling us more about yourself, current nutrition and your goals.

[1] Diet, Muscle Glycogen and Physical Performance

Fat loss vs fat burning with Carnitine supplementation

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First off, fat loss and 'fat burning' are not the same things. In the context of definitions within this blog post, fat burning refers to fat utilisation or fats being the primary fuel source of the body at a given time. This does not equal fat loss!

If you're ingesting more energy (Calories) than you expend over time you will not achieve fat loss or the lowering of your body fat percentage. Period.

Carnitine is a popular supplement often marketed towards fat loss. However it in actual fact is a perfect example of how supplement companies mislead their customers and twist research to increase sales.

The reality of supplements and fat loss is that there are no well-researched supplements that have consistent definitive evidence to show they work, that are also legal to buy and poses.

Caffeine: it's worth mentioning.
With that said an argument for caffeine can be made as a thermogenic aid which just means it increases your energy expenditure making that 'Calorie deficit' everyone talks about more likely. If you think about it logically it makes sense. Caffeine is a stimulant and stimulants make you move more. Move more and you'll expend more... ENERGY! So it's not magic.

The point being with this blog is that fat loss supplements are a scam, and that certainly applies to carnitine.

Carnitine may promote 'fat burning', not fat loss.
That's right it won't promote fat loss, but it may promote fat burning. It may increase your capacity to use fats as a preferential fuel course over glucose (carbohydrate) [1]. It's worth noting that preferentially burning fats isn't better or best for the most part. If you take part in a sport that works at high intensities a.k.a something that is more 'sprinty', or 'quicker burst' focused that endurance, steady-state activities then glucose (carbohydrate) utilisation is your best friend.

However, if you're an endurance athlete...
Encouraging fat utilisation as a preferential fuel source has it's potential benefits as fueling activity with fats spares the use of glycogen (fancy name for stored carbohydrates) for when higher intensities are required at which point there will be ample stored carbohydrate reserves to tap into.

So the instances where carnitine may be useful are not common. To make the case for carnitine even worse. For an effect to be noted consistent co-ingestion of carnitine with a decent amount of rapidly digesting carbohydrate (sugar) over several months is needed to see the said effect. [1]

Even still supplements, if they do work (which is rare), the magnitude of effect they'll have is minimal at best. So for almost all folks, thought, attention, effort and money is better dedicated elsewhere.

The final word on carnitine supplements.
For those looking to maximise endurance performance, carnitine supplementation may be a worthwhile consideration. For everyone else, it's a classic example of supplement company 'scamery'.

At FNC we want to educate our clients and wider community on the principles that work and that are going to give you the most “bang for your buck”. Supplements are a little rock, a one percenter that tends to be a waste of time, effort and energy in the grand scheme of things. We try to help our clients lay a strong foundation of nutrition and educate our clients on how to move towards their goals in the most effective manner.

To learn more about how we work with our clients, contact us.

[1] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233916868_Chronic_oral_ingestion_of_L-carnitine_and_carbohydrate

Non-tracking diet methods

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A DIETING METHOD THAT WORKS FOR THOSE WHO PREFER NOT TO WORK WITH NUMBERS AND DATA. 

If you're someone who just doesn't mesh well with numbers and data, tracking Calories and macros probably isn't a viable option as a longer than short term dieting strategy. Not everyone can get away without tracking anything, but looking into a non-tracking method of dieting might be a good idea if the aforementioned sounds like you. 

There are many non-tracking dieting methods out there that can be used in combination. Using food selection to manipulate automatic Calorie intake is easily one of the most prominent methods. 

So what is it, and how does it work?
Focusing your food selection mostly on 'low-Calorie-per-bite', voluminous or filling foods allows you to eat a filling portion of physical food for not a lot of Calories. The high food volume, surface area or mass you're able to ingest will stimulate greater appetite satisfaction for fewer Calories than more Calorie dense options. The result being an automatic reduction in Calorie consumption with very little to no impact on meal hunger satisfaction. This automatic reduction in Calorie consumption will often place a dieter in a Calorie deficit leading to weight loss outcomes. 

Typically these filling foods present themselves in the form of plant matter being fibrous fruits and vegetables. But the idea of low Calorie per bite food swaps extends further to meats, dairy and grains. 

Practical examples that reduce Calories per bite and encourage a lower consumption of Calories include the following:
Fatty steak ➡️ lean steak

Full fat yogurt ➡️ nonfat yogurt 

Pasta ➡️ potato 

White rice ➡️ kidney beans 

Olive oil ➡️ avocado 

Noodles ➡️ ‘zoodles’

Coke ➡️ Diet Coke 

You can also change the ratios of ingredients within single meals to reduce the Calorie density. An example would be increasing the fruit to oat ratio in your morning protein oats.

Typically speaking edging towards a lower fat, higher plant, higher fibre approach to food selection will result in reductions in the Calorie content of your food without really changing the physical amount of food you can actually eat. 

It’s worth considering if you want to diet but don’t prefer the idea of tracking numbers and data and/or are suffering from heightened hunger levels during a period of intended Calorie restriction. 

To learn how to use non tracking methods to help you move towards and maintain your goals, click the button below

Health is more than your body fat percentage

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Health is more than just your blood work or your body fat percentage. Total health encompasses many factors like social, economic, and mental health. 

Often to improve one aspect focus will need to be dedicated to one area in the short term at the expense of another. 

For example, if you have a high-level dieting goal in mind, your social health will almost certainly suffer as your freedom to eat and drink is reduced through the process aligning with the goal. 

Or if you seek a promotion at work, your physical health might suffer as your working hours become extended leaving little room for training as much as you'd like. 

Of course, nothing comes for free of trade off's, and it's all part of achieving something worthwhile doing. But knowing when to stop and have a maintenance phase at balance is the key important for long term health and happiness. It's easy for one area of health to get taken too far, and all of a sudden another area is in desperate need of attention. 

Setting logical time frames, expectations and having a plan to go back to 'balance' after the dedicated phase of focusing on one area is important to long term total health and happiness. 

Food cravings

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Ever felt food cravings? Maybe you are someone that feels like your cravings control the outcome of your nutrition?

Chances are your cravings are a direct result of something you are unconsciously are doing to your nutrition and appetite.

Cravings can teach us a lot, for example:

Inadequately supplied nutrition: A common cause of cravings is poorly timed or inadequate sources of fuel, particularly when it comes to cravings feeling compulsive. Often we blame this on willpower or lack of discipline when really it could be that you are unsatisfied and undernourished. Often we deprive ourselves of carbohydrates, but isn't it normally high carbohydrate treats that we end up craving and succumbing to? Checking up on your carbohydrate intake, as well as having a good balance of all three macronutrients is important.

Food insecurity: We typically associate food insecurity with people who don’t have access to enough food. While that’s true, it could also be self-inflicted through dieting or restrictive mindsets. When you feel like food isn’t going to be there tomorrow, it could absolutely affect your thoughts and behaviors today. Giving yourself unconditional permission to eat will decrease the power food has over you. Being in control by having food rules is actually an illusion because those rules are actually controlling you.

Emotional hunger: eating outside of hunger due to our emotions is a completely normal thing, and happens to all of us. Consistently using food as the only way to meet your needs is leaving the body confused and lacking in the confidence it needs to take care of you. Like all things we need (rest, connection, movement, love and variety) food is important,   If you feel like something is lacking, it could be easier to distract or numb with food instead of leaning into what it is or how you’re feeling. In this case, working to become more emotionally aware would be worthwhile to you. This could be done through journaling, therapy or some other form of self-reflection.

Variety: Have you been eating the same thing over and over again? Our bodies want and need a wide variety of foods to function optimally. It’s physically and psychologically unsatisfying to eat the same foods day in and day out. Building more flexibility into your meals and snacks will likely help you feel less preoccupied with food.

Medical concerns: Some cravings — like salty foods, for example — may indicate a medical issue. If you find these cravings to be very intense and very frequent, it may be necessary to seek medical advice.

Lastly, be sure you aren’t confusing hunger, appetite or food preferences with cravings. It's normal to get hungry and want something satisfying to eat, which may vary from day to day. Remember to listen to your body. If you're craving pizza, then a salad may not do. If you want a treat, fruit may not cut it. While it's good to be aware, don’t waste too much of your time overthinking cravings. Most of the time it’s best just to honor it and move on.

To gain a greater understanding of nutrition for your individual needs and goals, contact us

4 Factors of a Good Diet

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A very common question, that is easily answered via a self-assessment using the following 4 criteria / questions. 

Whether the following criteria are adhered to via a tracking or non-tracking / mindful eating method doesn't matter. Tracking might make assessment easier, which may be a needed to eliminate variables if tight control is required and/or if mindful eating dieting methods are not yielding progress. 

1. Calories. 
Is roughly the correct amount of Calories being consumed on average over time? For the goal of fat loss, this will be a deficit relative to energy expenditure, also terms an energy deficit, Calorie deficit or negative energy balance. 

2. Sufficient protein
Is a sufficient amount of protein being consumed access a daily basis? For the tracking crowd anywhere between 1.4-2g/kg per day will suffice. 

3. Sufficient plant fibre
Current recommendations stand at 15-18g per 1000 Calories consumed [1]. Of that 80% should come from plant matter. Current recommendations for fruit and vegetable intake start at around 300g, & 400g respectively [2]. 

4. Mostly wholefood food selection. 
Most of your diet should come from minimally processed whole foods with the general rule of thumb being 80%+. 

So before you message every Insta diet guru (most of which don't know much about much) just self asses 'the diet' in question against the above. There you will find your answer.  

Bonus factors. 

1. Post diet transition to maintenance eating. 
Sustainability of a diet is surprisingly not a factor here as doing something slightly unsustainable is perfectly fine provided someone has the ability to healthfully, and effectively transition into the post diet maintenance free from rebounds, development of disordered relationship with food etc. For this to be obtained often basic diet know-how, autonomy and education is required. Which begs the argument of another important factor of a successfully diet being; education & autonomy. 

2. Ratios & amounts of carbohydrates & fats. 
Are sufficient carbohydrate amounts being consumed to meet needs? For most 'general-pop' folks who have low levels of activity, and low/ if any training volume and intensity carbohydrate needs are low so how you fill the rest of your Calories after protein has been covered doesn't really matter, so use preference. 
For high-level athletes or those with high training demands carbohydrate needs may be hugely elevated compared to the typical so a carbohydrate bias ratio is almost certainly the best idea with fat intakes only meeting minimum requirements of about 1g/kg of body weight, or 20% of total intake. Typically speaking there are more benefits to learning towards a carbohydrate bias in most situations. Your "body type" is not a factor to consider here.

3. Meal frequency, meal timing, and nutrient timing. 
Again for most people the number of meals you eat, when you eat them and when you time certain macronutrients (Protein, carbohydrates, and fats) relative to the day or training doesn't matter so dedicate your stress elsewhere. 
For high-level sports, or physique athletes and/or goals, or those who are very lean looking to get leaner timing of meals but more specifically protein feedings matters. Ideally, protein should be evenly spread across waking hours in even dosages. Carbs should be emphasised around training to promote best training performance for sports progression and/or optimal muscle growth / retentive stimulus. Timing of fats doesn't matter a whole lot, but I see value in going on the lower end of fats in the pre training feeding window. 

[1] Dietary guidelines for American 2015-2020

[2] Australian dietary guidelines  

Creatine: FAQs and Myths

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In high school, there was one gym bro who took creatine. At the time we all 'gave him crap' for being on steroids (we thought creatine a steroid at the time). 

Turns out creatine firstly isn't an illegal substance, but it's actually the most well studied and confirmed effective sports supplement there is. 

Fundamentally the powerhouse of the body is ATP. Intramuscular stores of creatine help fuel the re-creation of more ATP during high-intensity bouts of activity to maintain the presence of ATP. However, creatine supplies are limited and do run-out as we use them up. While we can get some creatine from our diet, supplementation is required to ensure levels stay 'topped-up'.  

We know creatine helps you perform better in sport and exercise, which obviously matters if you're an athlete wanting to beat everyone else. But this increased performance also means a more appropriate stimulus to enhance the adaptive response to training. Creatine can also help recovery which allows more 'quality' training stimulus to be provided over time again leading to greater adaptations. 

What might surprise you is that creatine does more than just 'get you jacked'. The benefits of creatine are not exclusively sports related, with evidence showing use in lessening the development of chronic illness and disease.

So we know it works. Now down to the practical stuff.

Is creatine safe? 
Studies have shown a needlessly high dose of more than 10 times optimal requirements for 5 years to be safe in multiple population types and ages. 

Will I gain weight and get bloated?
You'll almost certainly gain weight. The key word being 'weight' and not fat. Creatines mechanism of action is increased intramuscular phosphocreatine, glycogen and hydration which all contribute to mass but not fat mass. The weight gain is a by-product of the means by which creatine is effective and don't worry this won't make you look 'puffy'. 

What type of creatine is best?
Just good old cheap monohydrate does the job, there is no need to purchase any more expensive, 'fancy-named' ones. Monohydrate is most commonly used in creatine research with other forms being no better or potentially ineffective. 

How much/ whats the dose?
You can load it to saturate stores faster, but for the sake of simplicity 3-5g a day does the job, but it might take several weeks to see any notable improvements/ effects. Timing across the day also doesn't matter.

How do I take it?

Add a scoop to your morning water, pre or post workout shake, in a smoothie or even in your oats or yogurt.

Creatine, it's good for sports performance, it's good for getting jacked, it's good for recovery, it's good for health and it's damn cheap. Cheap enough that if new research came out drinking all existing creatine research proving it to be ineffective it wouldn't matter a great deal, and the placebo would be worth it anyway.

To learn more about how nutrition can improve your performance in the gym or would like us to bust some supplement myths, contact us:

https://www.fortitudenutritioncoaching.com.au/contact

[reference] International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine    

Post Workout Caffeine

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You might hear a PT say, "don't drink coffee after training because it will stimulate the release of stress hormones and stop you from recovering from training, which is bad because you want rest and digest mode". 

While there may be an element of truth to this. There are a few things wrong with it. 

The level of difference is so small it's not worth even mentioning in almost all situations. If you train first thing and like a coffee after, go for it! You have bigger things to worry about. 

We know consuming caffeine pre-training is a good idea to drive better training outcomes leading to 'better' adaptations. However, caffeine takes several hours to clear the blood levels after ingestion. So even if you didn't drink a coffee after your morning workout, the one you drank before it is still lingering for after you finish well into the 'post workout window'. 

Post-training caffeine might be a good strategy for athletes. Caffeine has been shown to promote greater rates of glycogen resynthesis after exercise when ingested with carbohydrate. Basically, this means if you train hard, then drink coffee and consume carbohydrates together you'll store more glucose in your muscle and at a faster rate. While this isn't massive for training adaptations and certainly not important for most folks. It is worth noting for best recovery, especially if you're doing repeated bouts of hard competition level activity within very close time proximity of each other. [1,2]

Take home points. 
Drinking coffee, and consuming caffeine after training isn't something to be afraid of. It may even be a great idea for certain situations.  

[1] High rates of muscle glycogen resynthesis after exhaustive exercise when carbohydrate is coingested with caffeine.

[2] Caffeine ingestion does not impede the resynthesis of proglycogen and macroglycogen after prolonged exercise and carbohydrate supplementation in humans.

Carbohydrate Requirements for Athletes

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High-level athletes are often the most disciplined people you'll meet.

6 hours of training 6 days a week isn't an uncommon thing, and it's often accompanied by a 'laser focus' style of strict nutrition. 

Because the energy requirements of such high amounts of training are so great. You'll need to eat a lot of Calories and a lot of carbs to avoid states of low energy availability relative to requirements in order to perform your best and not impact your health. 

So what are these requirements, how much carbs do you actually need to eat if you train multiple hard hours day?

5-8g of carbs per kilo of body weight per day. [1] 
For a 75kg athlete, the range is 375g- 600g of carbs a day

Once you know what 600g of carbs looks like in terms of physical food. You'll realise that achieving such high requirements through exclusively 'clean foods' isn't viable.

To consume 600g of carbs you'll need to eat...  

6.2 kilos (raw weight) of sweet potato. [3]
Or
1.2 kilos of (raw weight) rolled oats. [3]

... I think it's safe to say that's not really viable on a consistent daily basis. 

So if you're training 6 hours a day and eating only 'clean carbs' to hunger satisfaction or even fullness. It's logically doubtful you're getting even a small portion of your carbohydrate requirements on a regular basis. You're likely in a state of chronic low energy availability which can have massive implications. This state and it's negative outcomes is termed RED-S (relative energy deficiency in sport) [2]

Health consequences of RED-S include bone, metabolic, endocrine, menstrual, cardiovascular, immune health and more. 

Performance consequences of RED-S include injury risk, impaired judgment, cognition, strength endurance performance and more. 

The magnitude of the above consequences can be utterly shocking. 

So if you want to perform your best and not negatively impact your health you might want to eat some 'junky' carbohydrate dense foods. There are many ways to easily consume high amounts of carbs. Typically calorie dense, super tasty, low fibre foods are great. 

For example, 680g of Coco Pops will give you 600g of carbs. 

While still a massive amount. It's far less than the aforementioned 'clean carbs', and you need to consider taste, and the fibre content to get a better idea of actual ease of consumption comparisons. 

So if all of the above is relevant to you. You might want to consider;

Swapping the oats for white rice, and putting honey and jam on top of that. Drinking fruit juice and full-calorie cordial with your meals. Swapping the whole grain bread for bagels with jam, and maybe having a full tub of sorbet for dessert. 

Thinking you 'need to eat only clean' might not only be causing you to perform sub-optimally but it might be seriously harmful to your health. 

Want to learn more about how to improve your performance in training?

[1]  https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-018-0242-y  

[2]  https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/52/11/687

[3] http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/science/monitoringnutrients/afcd/Pages/foodsearch.aspx

Shifting Away from "Burning Calories"

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'BURNING CALORIES/FAT' IS NOT A GREAT PURPOSE OF TRAINING.

SHIFT YOUR TRAINING MINDSET AWAY FROM FAT LOSS.

Fundamentally fat loss or weight maintenance is a game of energy consumed through food and drink versus the energy expended through living, lifestyle, and activity. 

Training with weights has it's benefits and plays an integral part of fat loss for health, human function and muscle retention with a strong argument, and reasoning behind why it should be prioritised (not exclusively) over cardio style training...

But you won't burn a whole lot more Calories doing it...

Therefore there is a strong argument that weight training to 'burn fat or Calories' is not an efficient approach, as the amount of extra energy you'll expend isn't anything requiring great attention at least ahead of diet and general activity levels. [1] 

If you had to unblock a river, it would make sense to worry about removing the big boulders before the little pebbles right. If we apply this mindset towards fat loss, it's not the say weight training deserves less thought and that it's effects aren't worthwhile or vitally important. It's just to say that diet and general activity deserve more emphasis, and the why behind training for a fat loss goal should be shifted away from 'burning Calories', and focused towards muscle retention, health, mood, stress-relief and function.

Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport

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What is RED-S?

Red-s stands for relative energy deficiency in sport.

In simple terms it is under-eating and the impacts can be severe in athletes who are burning heaps of energy through training and competition.

A more in-depth explanation is: RED-S refers to the physiological effects of chronically low energy (Calorie) availability, relative to requirements, which includes large reductions in resting metabolic rate and severe health implications.

RED-S started as a focus with female athletes but the same issue is being seen in male athletes and potentially this could extend to general population.

What are the health implications and dangers of RED-S?

RED-S can negatively affect many aspects of health including:

• menstrual function

• bone health

• immune function

• cardiovascular health

• psychological health

• growth and development

• increased injury risk

What are the signs of RED-S to look for?

Some of the signs of RED-S are:

• decreased strength

• decreased endurance performance

• decreased training response

• impaired judgment

• decreased coordination

• decreased concentration

Consider RED-S as a possibility if you are trying to lose weight but despite restricting food intake, despite reducing your calories you are not losing weight AND you are exercising a lot or you are an athlete.

What can you do if you suspect Red-S?

When a large disparity between actual resting metabolic rate and ‘healthy’ metabolic rate is identified, the course of action to solve it, is much the same as ending a planned diet. Working out estimated maintenance calories, taking into account how activity levels, then consistently consuming roughly that amount of calories.

For those who suffer severe health effects of RED-S, slowly increasing calorie intake under the guidance of a qualified medical professional may be necessary.

Bottom line; if you exercise a lot and trying really hard to diet, consider if you may be eating too little and under-fuelling your body. If you feel like crap, you’re showing signs of poor health, you notice changes in your menstrual cycle, libido, mood, training performance, strength, coordination - you may be suffering from low energy availability and/or RED-S.

Strongly consider increasing your calorie intake and speaking to a medical professional.

Does RED-S refer to a broken metabolism?

The idea of a permanently damaged metabolism or starvation mode has been debunked, however acute down-regulation of metabolism known as ‘metabolic adaptation’, or ‘ adaptive thermogenesis’ is accepted to be true.

The reason that it’s accepted as an adaptation rather than damage is that metabolic rate will return to a healthy, ideal baseline at some point after returning to maintenance eating, eg - eating enough Calories to maintain body weight and support individual activity levels.

If you want to read more about fuelling exercise, training and athletic performance, check out our blog on:

If you are an athlete, aspiring athlete or looking to boost your performance, we are here to help. We can help you work out your energy requirements and implement strategies with your nutrition to support all the work you are putting into training and exercise.

Reference:
https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ijsnem/28/4/article-p316.xml

Is Sugar The Devil?

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It seems that sugar is the devil in society. People think sugar turns into belly, thigh or hip fat.

But is added and refined sugar as bad as that very unqualified, very illogical Australian celebrity Paleo chef claims?

What increases 'body fatness' is not actually sugar itself. It's excessive calories compared to energy requirements or calorie (energy) expenditure over time [1]. This is also called an energy (calorie) surplus. This 'calorie surplus' is a major risk factor that leads to the development of many common diseases and poor health outcomes. Whilst it has not been conclusively proven that sugar directly does.[1]

So, sugar itself is not bad, nor does it directly make you fat. 

However, it's important to note foods with added sugar can indirectly lead to increased 'fatness' through increases in CALORIE consumption. So if a diet is high in refined sugar, its likely also high in Calories. 

This is because adding sugar to foods and beverages during processing, cooking etc. Both increase calorie density and enhances the taste. Both of which create a scenario that encourages far higher consumption of calories. 

But this isn't exclusively the case for sugar, more so any 'tasty, high calorie, lower fiber' foods and drinks. Many of which are high in fats. [2]

So despite sugar not directly leading to increased 'body fatness', and poor health outcomes. The diet recommendations of reducing or eliminating refined sugar holds great value, as it's reduction can lead to lower calorie consumption, keeping energy balance in check. 

It's also important to note that not all situations are looking to reduce caloric intake. This is where context and situation plays a role. Situations that involve the need to shuttle high amounts of glucose into the blood as soon as possible, or situations that involve consuming more calories than what an individual would feel comfortable with from 'healthy foods'.  Requires the use of foods and drinks that can be defined as 'unhealthy, or sugary' due to a high amount of refined sugar, a high-calorie density, and an appealing taste. 

[1] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41430-019-0407-z?fbclid=IwAR2CipHPICtRz-46cRMf9JJRcYPMWrhE0_8NPmeoP-cKarWPlrMm7_hIjC4#ref-CR25

[2] https://www.ernaehrungs-umschau.de/fileadmin/Ernaehrungs-Umschau/pdfs/pdf_2014/01_14/EU01_2014_M014_M023_-_002e_01_engl.pdf

Visualise Yourself

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Visualisation is an extremely effective tool utilised by highly successful people in all fields.

Whether it be athletes or business people, they implement visualisation techniques into their life regularly.

This is a technique I also use with my clients.

It can be used in a number of ways.
 

Firstly, they can visualise themselves looking and feeling healthy, performing at their peak, being happy in their own skin; achieving their goals.

Another tactic we implement at FNC is when the client is faced with temptation, or a path with 2 choices. The 2 choices being making healthy or unhealthy nutritional choices. Whether it be binge eating, ordering take out, not preparing meals; we constantly find ourselves having to make choices.
 

How does visualisation help us make the right choice?

Step 1. The Fork In The Road.
Identify your 2 options, often the healthy and the unhealthy. Order take out or cook dinner, give in to your sugar cravings or eat a piece of fruit, sit on the couch or go to the gym, meal prep or eat out for lunch.

Step 2. Visualise yourself making the poor decision
Write down how you will feel after making that decision. Guilty, angry, annoyed. How will you feel 2 hours after that? Sad, depressed. How about the next day? Don't even want to think about it. The more upset and ashamed we are of the decision we made, the more likely we are to fall into a downward spiral of bad decisions and self sabotage.

Step 3. Visualise yourself making the healthy decision
Write down how you will feel after making that decision. Happy, energised. How will you feel 2 hours after that? Proud. How about the next day? Confident that you are able to make positive choices that will help you achieve your goals.

Step 4. Weigh up your options
Which path is aligned with your goals? Which path will get you there quicker?

The first step in the right direction is hard, but it is easier than a step in the wrong direction if you want to achieve your goals. The more often we make the right choice, the easier it is going to become.

Visualising yourself making decisions is an important step towards getting where you want to be in your life, your career, your sport and your health.