A great 'prepare ahead' healthy meal for the whole family - Mexican Sang Choy Bau! https://t.co/HaABEh40OA
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With more than 23,000 in our community, my monthly newsletter is your fix of cutting-edge nutrition advice, tips and tools, hack and habits, inspiration, new products, industry news and real-life strategies that help you live a healthy life and unleash your energy and potential. Each month, straight to your inbox . I look at these issues:
- Are low-carb diets safe?
- Should I be eating RAW?
- Is hemp worth the extra? What about chia? Or coconut fat?
- Should I swallow apple cider vinegar?
- What about Paleo? Keto? Gluten-free?
- Can I eat full-fat yoghurt if I have type 2 diabetes?
I'm busy too so I know the problems you face making healthy meals easily and quickly. As a nutritionist and busy mother of two, my aim is to make healthy eating easy and enjoyable.
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= Reviews =
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Product Snapshot – Carman’s Protein Salted Caramel Nut Butter bar
There’s a plethora of muesli bars, nut bars, nut and seed bars available these days. I’ve tried several and none really hit the spot for me. I’ve had a few that tasted a bit rancid and others that were way, way too sweet. That’s why I tried these bars. Here's what I found…
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Product Snapshot: Woolworths Soft wraps with 65% less carb
Low carb products are all the rage at the moment. Those on keto and low carb diets are always on the lookout for low carb versions of their favourite foods such as breads and wraps. We’ve already reviewed low carb breads and low carb potatoes and now we’re now giving you a quick look at these soft wraps from Woolworths which have 65 per cent less carbs.
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Product Snapshot: Nudus fruit and veg chips
If you’re on social media, then you’re almost guaranteed to have heard of Nudus. They seem to be carpet bombing the Instagram and Facebook feeds. This made me curious (yes, the ads worked!) to see what they were like as they have 5 Health Stars and claim to be made from 100% fruit or veg.
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Product Snapshot – Dillicious – Australian Dill Pickles
I’m a big fan of dill pickles so I was interested to try these Dillicious Aussie ones. I ordered them online and they arrived in short order, well packaged in recyclable materials. Take a look at what I thought of them.
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The 5 best sweet snacks of 2020 for busy women
Once again, I’ve had the good fortune to be a judge for the annual food awards run by Healthy Food Guide magazine which help shoppers discover the best packaged products to buy for nutrition, value and taste. The complete list of the winners and finalists has been announced in the November issue of the magazine (which comes out on 5 October).
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Product Snapshot – Tassal Salmon Bacon
Do you love to have bacon as part of your weekend big breakfast? Perhaps you’ve heard that bacon is quite high in saturated fat and/or salt and you’ve wondered if there are any healthier but still tasty, alternatives? Tassal has had the brilliant idea of making salmon bacon from smoked salmon.
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Change your eating, change your life!
Like most writers, I’m an avid reader. I especially read lots of nutrition books. I do like a classic, well-written overview on a specific topic and the odd faddish diet book (just to see what others are reading).
Here’s a Baker’s Dozen (13) of nutrition books and related cookbooks that can improve your health and wellbeing this year.
Changing your eating really can change your life!
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Book Review: Fast Asleep By Dr Michael Mosley
Subtitled, “How to get a really good night’s rest” Dr Michael Mosley’s latest book, Fast Asleep, promises to help you “improve brain function, reduce sugar cravings and boost your mood”. Does it deliver?
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Product review: Alpine Lower-carb bread
If you love bread but need to shed a little weight; or perhaps you’re trying to eat a diet lower in carbs; then this might be the bread for you! Tasting just like regular bread, this loaf has more protein, more fibre and less added sugars as well as lower carbs. Take a look as I check out how it measures up against ‘regular’ bread.
This post has been sponsored by Bertalli’s Alpine Breads.
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Product Snapshot – Five Tastes Stir Fry Shots
A healthy, authentic Asian stir fry sauce should be a celebration of fresh Asian spices and herbs. To gather all the fresh ingredients yourself can be expensive and balancing the flavours can be tricky. Happily, Five Tastes Stir Fry Shots can do this for you. They come in four flavours, and the two I tried, Thai Basil & Chilli and Vietnamese Lemongrass & Kaffir Lime, really stood out in terms of both taste and health.
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Washed, packed and ready-to-eat – or is it?
We’ve all seen, and probably used, pre-cut and ready-to-eat vegetables – washed lettuce leaves, washed rocket, baby spinach leaves, broccoli florets, cauliflower pieces, cubes of peeled pumpkin, not to mention trimmed beans and cauliflower ‘rice’. But are they ready-to-eat or should you wash them again at home?
= Healthy Weight Loss =
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How to beat those cravings
Many of us have cravings from time to time and for different reasons. One thing is certain, they can sabotage all your best efforts at a healthy diet and/or weight loss. The good news? You CAN beat them. I’ll tell you how.
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How to lose weight WITHOUT going on a diet
The word 'diet' is a turn-off for most people. It sounds hard, unpleasant and unpalatable. Losing weight doesn’t have to be hard AND it doesn’t have mean sticking to a 'diet'. You can forget Paleo, Keto, Vegan and Raw, Gluten-free and Intermittent Fasting. To lose weight, you don’t have to follow any specific diet. What you need is simple, healthy, nutritious food and a few tips and tricks.
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What IS a healthy balanced diet for weight loss?
Healthy weight loss happens when you lose weight slowly and steadily (around 1 kg or 2 pounds weight loss a week). Your goal is to lose weight while still getting your essential nutrients but from smaller portions. You certainly don’t want to be tired with no energy! That’s why you need regular healthy meals and snacks on hand to ensure your vitamins, minerals, omega-3s and fibre needs can be easily met. There is a new range of healthy weight loss meals available and it’s one that I’d like to recommend. With these ready meals, you’ll say goodbye to meal planning, shopping, meal preparation and cooking.
This post is sponsored by Chefgood
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Kitchen make-over for the New Year
“This year, I'm going to lose weight!”, or “This year I’m opting for a healthier lifestyle!” Is your 2020 New Year's resolution something like one of these? If so, how is it going to happen?
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7 reasons your body will love a bowl of soup!
I love soup, whether in a bowl, a mug or on-the-go. It’s easy to make in bulk and freeze in portions for later so you don’t have to do as much cooking or spend that precious time in the kitchen. So, why not make up a big pot today and keep it for when you’re starving before a meal or as a between-meal snack? Your body will thank you for it.
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Should you really “breakfast like a king” if you want to lose weight?
As nutritionists, we were always taught that “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”, especially for people who want to lose weight. Now a review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ 2019;364:l42 ) throws doubt on this old adage.
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Fasts and fasting – religious and nutrition based
Every major religion has some sort of fast. In the 1960s, I grew up as a Catholic and the Lenten ritual of giving up something (for me it was sugar in my tea and coffee) and fasting was a normal part of the year. We also used to fast one hour before Mass so we could receive the sacrament of Holy Communion on an empty stomach. No meat was allowed on Fridays (which later morphed into only the Fridays of Lent). Here we examine the traditional fasts of major religions as well the newer nutrition-based fasts for weight loss. See if it’s something you can manage …
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What actually is ketosis? Is it good or bad for you?
Ketosis is when you push your body’s metabolism to burn stored fat for energy instead of sugar. So how do you do it? And is it good for you?
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What's better for weight loss and health? Low-carb or low-fat?
Recent studies have provided an interesting insight into the perennial ‘dieters’ dilemma’ - “Low-carb OR low-fat?” Which is better for your health? Which is better for weight loss? The results are in, so let’s take a look.
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7 best vegetables to help you lose weight (with serving ideas)
Maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle doesn’t have to be difficult or painful. As a nutritionist dedicated to helping busy women eat healthily I have the answer! Fresh vegetables are the key. They taste great, they’re full of vitamins, minerals and fibre too. Take a look…
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7 weight loss hacks to do NOW
Finding it hard to shed those extra kilos or pounds? New Year is traditionally a time for new beginnings so now is the ideal time to change your eating habits and the ways you exercise. It’s all about eating better on less and getting more movement into your day. Here are my fave 7 tips and tricks to boost your metabolism, burn more energy and promote healthy weight loss
= Most popular =
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Q. What's the difference between Diet Coke and Coke Zero?
A. At first glance, Diet Coke and Coke Zero appear to be identical. Both contain no kilojoules (Calories) and no sugar. Both are artificially sweetened with (the same amount) of aspartame and acesulfame K and therefore have the same ‘sweetness’.
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Eat to beat gastro and diarrhoea
A clear fluid diet is the best form of treatment for gastro and tummy upsets. It is the "lightest" type of diet, designed to place as little strain as possible on the digestive tract. It is NOT nutritionally adequate and should be followed only for a strictly limited time e.g. two or three days but no more than a week.
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7 types of sugar - which is healthier?
Last week on the radio, the announcer asked me if there was a 'good' sugar – one that would satisfy her sweet tooth but that was 'healthier' than regular white sugar. She figured if there were 'good' carbs and 'bad' carbs there must be some sugars that would get the nod of approval from nutritionists.
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How to convert sodium to salt (and salt to sodium)
As a nutritionist, my aim is to help busy women eat healthily. One of the ways to do this is to follow the general nutrition advice to reduce the salt in your diet. So, how can you do this when what you’ll see on a food label and on any recommended daily intakes is sodium?
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Sugar - why quitting sugar guarantees you'll lose weight
Sugar. It's been labelled "deadly", "addictive", "toxic", "sweet poison" and blamed for the rise in global obesity in recent years." Get rid of the white toxin from your diet and you'll free up your body to drop those excess kilos" (or so say anti-sugar campaigners Sarah Wilson, David Gillespie and Robert Lustig). Here are the three real reasons why I believe quitting sugar helps you lose weight.
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Nutella. The full (correct) list of ingredients
Have you ever tried to find the exact list of ingredients for Nutella online? The identical one that appears on its label - in descending order from the first (largest ingredient by weight) to the last ingredient, as required by food law? Well, you won’t find it! Here’s the hoop-la I went through to discover exactly what the ingredients in Nutella are and why Nutella is not good for your kids.
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Eat to beat gallstones
Gallstones, small hard “rocks” of cholesterol and calcium, can block the tubes that drain the gallbladder. This blockage causes inflammation of the gallbladder or of the bile drainage tubes. Once this happens you experience terrible pain or colic, fever and even jaundice (skin turns yellow). Here’s what you can do about it.
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What does 8,700 kilojoules look like?
8,700 is a magic number in nutrition. It’s the number of kilojoules (kJ) that is the “average” intake for adults in Australia, if the surveys are correct. It’s widely used as a benchmark figure and as the basis of food labels such as the Percent Daily Intake values. Recently kilojoules have appeared on fast food menu boards and they use 8,700 as the yardstick to assess their foods against. Here's my take on it.
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How to convert kilojoules to Calories
Just like yards became metres and pounds became grams, so Calories have become kilojoules. Kilojoules are the metric equivalent of Calories and have replaced Calories in Australia and many other metric countries. Yet they're very confusing, especially to my US visitors who have always only known Calories (lucky for me, I grew up with Calories then had to learn kilojoules!)
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Q. What’s the difference between fish oil and cod liver oil?
A.
Fish oil and cod liver oil are two different oils even though they both come from fish and have a similar fatty acid profile.
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Top 100 polyphenols. What are they and why are they important?
There are heaps of websites and food packs out there that try to compare this super food to that one. Depending on which testing method is used, you'll see sites and ads proclaiming that blueberries have more antioxidants than red wine; that goji has more than blueberries; that pomegranate juice has more than tea; and that dark chocolate is up there with all of them.
= Recipes =
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Mexican Lettuce Cups with Avo Yoghurt Dressing and Steamed Corn
This is a low-carb version of Mexican tacos – instead of using starch-heavy tacos you sub in lettuce leaves to take the place of the tacos. Neat huh?
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Do-nothing Lamb and Legume Soup
This warming winter soup is a family favourite. What I particularly like about it is that it's pretty much "set and forget". Just put all the ingredients in the slow cooker, turn it on and 6 odd hours later you have a tasty, filling and nutritious meal.
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Jacket Potatoes
In the cooler months, there is nothing more comforting than warm oven-baked potatoes. Jacket potatoes can be filled with loads of nutritious ingredients (not just sour cream and cheese!) to give you both a nutritious yet comforting meal. They are also very versatile so I encourage you to get creative with toppings and seasonings (see ideas below).
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Superfood Stir-fry (Salmon Chow Mein)
Enjoy a meal in a wok and get 7 of my top 20 super foods – in one dish! It’s quick, delicious AND healthy!
The 7 superfoods in this meal are:
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‘Waldorf’ Pear Salad
This is the perfect salad to make in autumn when pears are in season. It’s tasty, healthy, easy to make and a great salad to make for two people. This refreshing salad offers a serve of fruit, vegetables, and omega-3 fats, all without compromising on taste. I personally also love the different textures and crunch – you really need to take the time to chew and enjoy this salad which helps slow down meal times and aids healthy digestion. It’s one for mindful eating.
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Chia berry pudding
This is a tasty and easy dessert that you can make ahead of time and have sitting ready in the fridge. Play around with the ratios. Use less chia if you want a less-firm custard. Chia sure beats gelatine or junket tables for ease. Plus you get the nourishment of a whole food.
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Homemade Tacos
Despite how messy they are to eat, tacos are always a crowd favourite. They’re great for a quick dinner or can be easily made in bulk for larger gatherings. What’s more, they tend to be both adult and child friendly! This mince mixture has less meat, with added beans for extra fibre and plant-based protein (and it’s another way to sneak vegetables in). Tacos are best served “family style”, with all the ingredients in the middle of the table so everyone can pick and choose what they want in their tacos.
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Build Your Own burgers!
A firm favourite amongst teenagers and kids, burgers aren’t always the healthiest of choices. However, making your own lets you put a healthy spin on this household favourite, by opting for lean meats, wholegrains and a rainbow of veggies. What’s more, these are great to get the little ones involved in the cooking (such as forming the patties).
Serve these burgers “family style” - place all the vegetables, patties and bread rolls in the middle of the table and let your children build their own burger. The greater the variety of vegetables, the more colourful the table will look!
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Roasted vegetable and bean salad
Are you looking for a salad that’s packed with a rainbow of vegetables and is high in fibre, low in carbohydrates, low in fat, and high in protein? This one is all that and more!
This colourful and tasty salad is also low GI, doesn’t need much attention when cooking AND is affordable!
It’s based on vegetables and a can of beans – a useful pantry staple. They’re affordable, can easily be thrown into salads (such as this one), soups or casseroles, and are packed full of nutrition.