Items tagged advice

The Basic Principles of Food Combining

There are a lot of ‘diets’ and eating trends out there in the world. Too confusing for most of us. Not all of them suit everyone. Some have more validity than others. I try and encourage everyone to eat a well balanced diet, mostly whole foods, mostly plant based, unless you thrive on meat proteins, and everything in moderation.

For some though, who have a delicate digestive system, need to pay a little more attention to what and how they eat. Raw may not suit them, mixing certain food groups together may be a problem, or not.

For some, food combining can be a temporary solution to giving the gut a little respite. Here’s a basic guide to get you started. Always seek advice from a qualified health professional before embarking on a different eating regime to ensure you are getting a balanced intake of nutrients. If you don’t feel you are thriving, stop and re- evaluate your situation with qualified guidance.

Food combining is nothing new. It has been around for a long time. If you have ever heard of the Hay diet, this is a diet based around food combining for healthy living.

Food combining is a perfectly healthy way of eating that need not restrict nutrient intake in any way. It is an ideal way of eating for those who would like to optimize their digestive function, for those who have digestive issues or conditions, as well as weight management

When your digestive function is optimal, your body weight will naturally regulate itself. Bloating, heaviness, fatigue associated with eating, wind and acid indigestion become a thing of the past. Mental clarity can be enhanced and therefore learning capacity.

In very simple terms, food, whether it be animal or plant, is composed of many elements with some more predominant than others. Enzymes, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, phyto-nutrients and so on, are contained in every food but in relation to food combining, we are mainly looking at proteins, fats, acids and carbohydrates or starch.

All foods contain these nutrients, and in proportions that are specific to each particular food. For example, Banana – carbohydrate, fish – protein, coconut – fat, bread and grains – carbohydrate etc. Knowing your food groups makes it easier to grasp this fact.

Some foods contain a greater proportion of protein to other elements e.g. as we know, beef is largely made up of protein at 19%, whereas Avocado has only 1.9% of protein but 24% fat (that is quality monounsaturated, vegetable fat). Whole grain rice on the other hand contains only 7% protein, 2% fat and 75% carbohydrate or starch.

The fundamental edict behind food combining is that the more nutrient groups we digest at the same time, the more taxing this becomes for our digestive system, which therefore slows down the digestive process, and can contribute to issues like fermentation in the gut, gastric reflux, bloating, wind, general digestive upset such as gut dysbiosis where the natural gut flora gets out of balance (very common with over eating), stress, sleepiness or foggy brain and so on.

A number of nutrients can be digested during a single meal – on condition that the proportions of nutrients mutually suit each other and it is these proportions that are the key to food combining.

Indeed, other things contribute to healthy digestion –

Eating slowly

Eating smaller amounts and for some, smaller portions more often

Being relaxed while eating

Focusing on the food you are eating, in other words being mindful

Liking what you are eating

On the negative side these things hinder digestion –

Stress and mental tension
Emotional upsets
Physical ailment or illness
Overly processed foods
Medications
Alcohol
Over eating

The Number of Possible Combinations

Food combining reduces the combinations of different food nutrients taken in at one time but not the volume. Basically put, what you eat with what.

You will often notice that many meals might contain two different sources of protein, various high starch foods combined with say, an acid based sauce, and fat thrown in for good measure. In fact, if you look at many of the classic meal combinations we have grown up with – meat and potatoes for example, pasta and meat bolognaise, from the food combining principles this is not ideal.

So that begs the question what is ideal?

These basic combinations below, I hope, will help simplify the theory for you.

Workable combinations –
Carbs (starch) + fats
Fats + acids
Carbs (starch) + acids
Non-starchy carb + fats
Non–starchy carbs + protein
Protein + fat
Sugar + acid
Starch + starch

Not-so-workable combinations –
Protein + fat + starchy carbs
Fat + acids
Protein + starchy carbs
Starchy carbs + sugar
Starch + acid
Protein + acid
Protein + sugar
Protein + protein

A Few Simple Examples of Carbohydrate groups, Proteins, Fats Acid based foods (lists are by no means exhaustive but are designed to give an idea)

Starchy carbs
Cereals
Pasta
Bread
Buckwheat
Chestnuts
Potatoes

Sugary carbs
Beet sugar
Cane sugar
Honey
Syrup
Jams/preserves
Dried fruits
Bananas

Proteins
Meat
Fish
Eggs
Nuts
Seeds
Pips
Yoghurt
Milk

Fats
Cheese
Animal fats
Edible oil
Butter
Whipped cream
Egg yolk
Mayonnaise

Acids
Vinegar’s
Brewer’s yeast
Soft drinks
Sauerkraut
Yoghurt
Fruit
Berries
Tomatoes

Sarah La Touche is a registered Holistic Nutritionist, and a member of the New Zealand Clinical Nutritionists Association.

She also runs walking tours in France, Italy and Spain. The forthcoming tour is walking the Camino del Norte from San Sebastian to Bilbao in September.

Sarah is available to see clients for nutritional consultations and advice by phoning 027 315 1165 or email sarah@livingnutrition.co.nz.

To find out about the walking tours go to www.foodiesinfrance.com or email ds@foofiesinfrance.com

Sometimes The Best Way is Too Easy

One of our members has lost a lot of weight. He has also got a lot fitter. He looks fantastic, and it’s happened reasonably quickly.
A few people have asked which diet he has been doing…….. Is he Paleo, or Keto, or is he a vegan or vegetarian, or perhaps gone Low carb high fat (LCHF).
The reality is far better…. He’s done none of these. What he’s done is followed the Common Sense Diet. Along with regular and varied exercise, he has steadily transformed himself into a fit lean version of himself

The Common Sense Diet. Three meals a day and modest serving sizes. Sure, he stopped drinking alcohol, but I’m sure that the occasional drink wouldn’t make that much difference. He hasn’t eliminated any main food groups, he eats as much in season whole food as possible, and he still has a takeaway once a week. Sounds good doesn’t it.

I’m a firm believer that we don’t need to spend money on fancy products or diets. The ability to lose weight and be fit and toned is already within us. The hard part for most is finding the desire to educate ourselves and make the changes we need to make.
For most people, it’s not carbs that are the problem (our bodies need carbohydrate) it’s the sugary processed carbs that do the damage. It’s not bread that’s a problem, its eating half a loaf a day that would make most people feel bloated. It’s not alcohol as such that’s the problem, it’s the 2-3 glasses everday that add too many calories.

So, how about trying the common sense diet?……
3 small meals a day of fresh seasonal whole food. Minimal alcohol. No/minimal snacks. And most days do 30-60 min of a mix of aerobic exercise and resistance exercise.
If you find something you eat doesn’t agree with you, don’t go rushing off to get allergy tested, just don’t eat it (common sense right?) Learn to tune in and listen to your body, eat less, move more, and eat healthy food.

Festivity and Food

fes·ti·val

[fes-tuh-vuhl] http://dictionary.reference.com/help/luna/Spell_pron_key.htmlShow IPA

Noun

A day or time of religious or other celebration, marked by feasting, ceremonies, or other observances: the festival of Christmas; a Roman festival.
A periodic commemoration, anniversary, or celebration: an annual strawberry festival.
A period or program of festiveactivities, cultural events, or entertainment: a music festival.
Gaiety; revelry; merrymaking.

Adjective

Festal: a festival atmosphere of unrestrained joy.

Food is a naturally festive thing. If you think about it, many of the festive occasions we celebrate throughout the year include festive meals like Christmas and New Year, Easter, Epiphany on the 6^th of January, and Shrove Tuesday in February, which is celebrated by eating pancakes, or Halloween with all is sweetness and spookiness.

In many European countries like France, Spain and Italy, a celebration without food is unthinkable and there are many such occasions throughout the year. And so, here too in New Zealand, we have our traditions and rituals around food and celebration.

Thanks to our diverse, multi-cultural mix we now enjoy celebrating Chinese New Year and Pasifika, Diwali – the Festival of Light, and next week, Matariki, our native winter solstice. None of these significant events in a year would be complete without food.

Aside from religious festivals, we use food to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries too, special occasions like christenings and confirmations, weddings, births and even funerals. Whenever, and wherever we have a special occasion, food is never very far from our thoughts especially when it comes to families.

So where does this tradition come from?

The word Feast first appeared in language around the thirteenth century and while exact feasting origins are unclear, long before that families and community celebrated feast days. Offering a sense of belonging, providing entertainment, celebrating seasonal changes and harvest bounty, feasts, festivals, fetes, fiestas, gatherings and get-togethers, whatever you care to call them, were and are, a time for sharing, goodwill and celebration.

On our home turf, being a relatively young culture we have tended to adopt European festive foods and habits to celebrate festivals and religious holidays, baking Hot Cross Buns at Easter time, eating Turkey and hams at Christmas, scoffing down Trifle and Mince tarts.

When I was growing up in my Pakeha community in Wellington, a Hangi was a rare thing but now we can experience this amazing communal feasting tradition more often, especially when visiting a Marae, and we can even buy Hangi Take Out!

As our culinary horizons have widened, and with the influx of a broader cultural mix, our food experiences have expanded and so have our tastes and waistlines. Where once we celebrated an occasion with roast lamb, mint sauce and Pavlova with lashings of cream, it’s now more common to see the barbeque being fired up to cook a marinated, butter-flied leg of lamb with fresh salads and new potatoes, and naturally something sweet to finish like a fresh tropical fruit salad.

But as we have become more prosperous and processed foods much more readily available, celebration is becoming much more of a daily ritual. Our waistlines are expanding and our wellbeing is deteriorating as a consequence.

Diabetes is now epidemic in this country especially amongst young people, and we are sadly, number three in the world obesity statistics. Is this because food is more widely available? It certainly isn’t getting any cheaper.

Instead of that festive Sunday picnic at the beach with the family, it’s easier to go out for a quick meal, grab a carb-loaded morning tea with coffee, or fetch Take Out home and sit on the couch to watch TV. Are we eating our way to ill health while we celebrate?

I’m certainly not suggesting we stop celebrating or being festive, far from it. If anything we need to take more time to celebrate life and each other.

It’s more about the choices we make, being mindful around how we choose to include foods when we celebrate, and get moving!

There’s nothing wrong about having a festive outing to the park with the kids to celebrate a birthday or anniversary. And if we are going to indulge in some high energy foods, then the park or the beach is an opportunity to work off that energy intake with games and pastimes that leave us enriched with smiles on our faces.

Make informed food choices for you and your loved ones. Choose quality lean proteins, either animal or plant-based, whole grains, nuts, seeds and vegetables, instead of a Big Mac and fries or Wendy burger.

Hold back on the sodas and fizzy drinks, they are literally making us sick. Make water your favourite drink and have lots of it. Do have some sweet treats. Just be smart about it. Opt for fruit, fruit-based desserts and hold off on high sugar, processed cakes, sweets and pastries. If you must go in that direction these kinds of foods need to be enjoyed occasionally as opposed to daily or weekly.

Watch that alcohol consumption, studies are now showing us that even mild alcohol consumption is a contributing factor to certain cancers, especially for women.

Poach, steam, bake or grill, reduce your consumption of starchy carbs – rice, pasta, bread and potatoes for 2 weeks and see how you feel. Create a celebration around an activity like walking or an outdoor pursuit.

Make your daily ritual of breakfast and evening meals together as a family a festival, at the table, with the TV off, whenever you can. Conviviality and celebration enhance the all-important process of digestion and you are less inclined to eat as much.

Celebrate life by making smarter food choices and you’ll be around to enjoy the festivities, and your loved ones, a lot longer!

Sarah La Touche is a registered Holistic Nutritionist, and a member of the New Zealand Clinical Nutritionists Association.

She also runs walking tours in France and Spain. The forthcoming tour is walking the Camino del Norte from San Sebastian to Bilbao in September.

She is available to see clients for nutritional consultations and advice by phoning 027 315 1165 or email sarah@livingnutrition.co.nz.

To find out about the walking tours go to www.foodiesinfrance.com or email ds@foofiesinfrance.com

I’m too old to go to the gym, that’s for younger people

I’ve heard people say that before, and I’m sure you have too. Or maybe you have even been someone who has said, or thought that. The thing is……you are wrong!! You are not too old to start exercising, to join the gym, to start getting stronger. And it’s not the place for only young fit people.

I have clients and gym members ranging from 16yrs old through to 91 years old, and they are all benefiting from the training they are doing.

As we age, we start to lose things we previously took for granted, like mobility, strength, muscle tone, agility, balance and the speed of recovery from exertion.

By following a program that works on those things, you can not only slow down the rate of decline, but even find you are gaining in those areas.

A suitable program for our older members would see them working on gaining muscle strength, improving balance, especially whilst moving over and around obstacles or an uneven surface, and some stretching and mobilising of muscles and joints. If that sounds a bit confusing…..think squatting and lifting. Reaching up, pushing and pulling. Bending and turning. All movements we do every day in our usual environment.

If you are finding you are losing some strength and muscle tone, you can’t move as easily as you used to, or you just want to feel more confident when you are moving around outdoors, then pop in and let’s have a chat. We would be happy to visit you at home to do an assessment and discuss your requirements. This is done with no obligation and with strict confidentiality

This winter, Catalyst is running a twice weekly class for our older people. It will work on all the areas I have mentioned above, and will be a lot of fun as well.

Let me know if you think you would like to participate.

Are Your Feet Causing Back Pain?

Many sufferers of back pain aren’t aware that their feet could be to blame! Back pain can be a debilitating condition. When you suffer with it, there is nothing you want more than to get rid of the pain. So, what role do your feet play in the cause of your back pain? It’s all about structure.
Our technology has evolved faster than our bodies. People were not designed to walk on hard surfaces like tile, marble, wood, or concrete—instead, we were designed to walk on grass, dirt, sand, mud, and other natural terrain. These natural, softer terrains are more conforming to the shape and structure of the foot, thereby keeping the arch supported, and causing the muscles, ligaments and tendons of the foot and ankle to work in a supportive fashion.

How is Your Joint Flexibility?

As the years go by are you experiencing more musculoskeletal joint stiffness? Maybe your shoulders, knees, and ankles are not as flexible as they used to be. Has it become more difficult to bend over and pick up a dropped object or put on your clothes? Maybe to turn your head around to see the car in the next lane is uncomfortable or worse, impossible. The bad news is that left untreated, your joints will get stiffer as you get older. Ignored, our joints will loose a large amount of mobility. However, the good news is there’s plenty you can do to help prevent this. You can regain and retain much of your youthful flexibility, but only if you are willing to be proactive and do something.

Joints such as the shoulder, knee, and ankle are lubricated by synovial fluid. The Synovial fluid keeps the joints moist, provides oxygen and nutrition, and washes away toxic end-products of the normal metabolic processes. The joints in our spine are also lubricated and maintained in this way. Simply put, our bodies live for movement – Move it or Loose It! However, aging reduces the amount of available synovial fluid. The normal aging processes also increase the thickness of the remaining synovial fluid. Essentially, you have less lubricant available and the lubricant that you do have is thicker. The unfortunate result is stiffer joints, throughout your entire body.

Get Moving
One way to combat such physiologic aging is to keep active. This is a pretty big task for the people of today, in a world in which most of our time is spent at a desk or sat down. Our bodies were designed for physical work. However, as we have evolved from an agrarian to a more industrial society, and in recent times from an industrial to a service-based society, the type of work we do on a daily bases has changed dramatically. When we are not typing on a computer, we are at home watching TV or playing games on our electronic devices. None of these activities involves any actual active motion. If we want to look after our bodies, we’re going to have to be proactive about finding the time to do so.

So for those of you who already have included exercise as part of your daily routine, good for you. Some may still be struggling to get going and making the time for exercise. Years in practice have taught me that people make excuses to justify their actions (or lack of). The number one excuse, “I don’t have time”. Rubbish, the truth is people will make time for what is important to them.

Almost any type of exercise helps synovial fluid to become more available which allows the synovial fluid to be pumped into joint spaces and increases the lubrication into the joints. Exercise also raises the core temperature of the body, which subsequently decreases the viscosity of synovial fluid. The end product is increased joint flexibility. This benefit is, more often than not, experienced immediately. The benefit will be long-lasting, but only if you continue to exercise regularly.

Stay Moving
Thirty minutes of exercise per day, 5 times a week, will help us maintain as much joint flexibility as possible. Switching between a cardiovascular exercise day and a strength training day is the optimal exercise program. Yoga can give a total body workout which uses cardiovascular exercise, strength training, and flexibility. The types of exercise you do are not as significant as the long-term consistency of the exercise. Regular, vigorous exercise, will provide great benefit, not only will it improve your joint flexibility, but it will also help to improve your general health and wellness.

We Can Help!
One of the great benefits and focuses of Chiropractic care is improved flexibility of not only spinal joints but all the joints in your arms and legs as well. Consider how a loss of the spinal vertebral motion can lead to spinal muscle tightness and pain, which generally results in various other physical problems. For example, headaches, a lack of restful sleep, and increased irritability may all have a link with a loss of spinal flexibility. By increasing the mobility in your neck, mid-back, and lower back, chiropractic care helps your body function more efficiently. By removing the sources of the musculoskeletal irritation, chiropractic care can also reduce internal physiologic stress.

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