You and Your Gut

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Did you know that the health of your gut effects your entire body?

 Did you ever wonder why the thought of speaking in public or

going for a job interview ties your stomach in a knot?  Or why your stomach feels like it flips when your overjoyed? 

 Like the brain, the gut is highly sensitive and full of nerves, so when a stressful or emotional event occurs, it has a profound

effect on the digestive system.  

How your gut works

The term ‘digestion’ actually covers a collection of bodily processes that combine to “unlock” the value of food – both physically and chemically – to yield nutrients that can be absorbed and utilized.  Most food can’t be used by the body in its natural state, so an intricate process occurs in the digestive system to convert everything you eat into a form that can then be absorbed and transported throughout the body. 

 When your digestive system is working properly, the result is a general well-being and balance, which includes mental alertness, higher energy levels, a strong immune system and healing and repair throughout the body when illness or infection arises.

When the balance is lost

We know that any system can develop glitches, and digestive disruptions or disorders can and often do have a major impact on our health.  Surveys suggest that digestive upsets that can’t be attributed to a specific condition or disease are quite common.  In one survey, almost 70% of those responding reported having at least one of 20 different symptoms – including discomfort, indigestion, belching, and bloating – in the last three months. 

 These types of problems can create a domino effect: When our digestion is poor, we have less access to nutrients and energy -resources that are necessary for healing.  So dysfunction in the digestive tract often doesn’t just remain there – it can result in symptoms anywhere in the body, including allergies, arthritis, asthma and chronic fatigue.

What causes an imbalance in the digestive system?

Poor digestion, poor absorption, and unhealthy bacteria in the gut lie at the root of most common digestive complaints and many other chronic conditions as well.  The culprits may include certain

problem” foods such as beans or dairy, eating meals high in fat, habitually eating too fast or too much, and even eating while under stress.  Other factors include:

Getting older.  The muscles of the GI tract may become less efficient, and you may be taking longer to digest your food.  Some research suggests that older individuals may not be able to handle the digestion of high fat foods as well as when they were younger.  And medications can also affect digestion, leading to constipation and other problems.

Poor mealtime habits.  Digestion can suffer when you continually eat on the go and in a rush.  When food is not chewed well, salivation may be inadequate and food grinding may be incomplete.  As a result, carbohydrate digestion may not get the jump-start it needs before reaching the stomach.

Poor food choices.  Heavy, fat-laden meals can take longer to digest.  The digestion often associated with greasy foods may also be partly explained by the production of gases when fatty acids and stomach acid are neutralized in the small intestine.  If trapped, this gas may contribute to bloating and discomfort.

How to keep the digestive tract in check

Exercise.  Regular physical activity stimulates digestion and promotes re-absorption and elimination of gas.

Drink plenty of water.  Water helps stimulate the flow of digestive juices and eases the passage of wastes.

Consume adequate fibre.  A diet high in fibre aids digestion and promotes regularity.  If your dietary fibre intake is low, remember to increase the amounts you consume gradually to allow your body to adjust.

Avoid overeating, particularly late at night and meals high in fat.  A large meal that is rich in fat can be difficult to digest because fatty foods tend to stay in the stomach longer.  Overeating prior to bedtime can also cause pain and bloating because lying flat can trap gas in the stomach and intestine.

Manage stress.  Stress can also play a big role in how well your digestive tract functions.  Keeping stressful situations in perspective and maintaining positive outlets for stress relief is probably some of the best advice anybody can follow to protect both their digestive tract and overall health.

Relax and enjoy your meals.  Negative emotions can negatively affect digestion—witness the common expression ‘my stomach is in a knot’.  Taking time to enjoy a meal can actually help the digestive process.

Don’t “Pass the Salt, Please”

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 The average Australian consumes around eight or nine times more sodium than they need for good health. The National Health and Medical Research Centre’s (NHMRC) suggested dietary target advises that Australian adults should aim to consume no more than 4g of salt a day (or 1,600mg of sodium) in order to prevent chronic disease. Generally, infants and children need less than adults.

Around 75 per cent of the salt in our diet comes from processed foods. Nutritionists recognise it may be difficult for many people to reduce their salt intake to the ideal level, given our current food supply.

Where is all this salt coming from?

  • Processed and prepared foods. 
  • Natural sources.  Some foods naturally contain sodium, while they don’t have an abundance of sodium, it adds up.
  • In the kitchen and at the table.  Many recipes call for salt, and many people also salt their food at the table.

How much do you need?

Heart Foundation advice is that all Australians should at least reduce their salt intake to less than 6g of salt a day (approximately 2,300mg of sodium a day) as a first step towards reaching the recommended levels. This is approximately 1½ teaspoons of salt.

Keep in mind that these are upper limits, and less is usually best, especially if you are sensitive to the effects of sodium.

Your body does need some sodium to function properly because it:

  • Helps maintain the right balance of fluids in your body
  • Helps transmit nerve impulses
  • Influences the contraction and relaxation of muscle

Your kidneys naturally balance the amount of sodium stored in your body for optimal health.  When your sodium levels are too low, your kidneys essentially hold on to the sodium.

But if for some reason your kidneys can’t eliminate enough sodium, it starts to build up in your blood.  Because sodium attracts and holds water, your blood volume increases.  Increased blood volume makes your heart work harder to move more blood through your blood vessels, which increases pressure in your arteries.  Such diseases as congestive heart failure, cirrhosis, and chronic kidney disease can make it hard for your kidneys to keep sodium levels balanced.

How to tame the salt habit

Taste alone may not tell you which foods are high in sodium. For example, you may not think while eating your cornflakes that they taste salty, but a typical bowl of cornflakes contains 204 mg of sodium (9% of your daily allowance).

So how can you tell which foods are high in sodium?  Read the labels.  Nutrition Facts labels lists the amount of sodium in each serving, they also list whether the ingredients include salt or sodium-containing compounds, such as: monosodium glutamate (MSG), baking soda, baking powder, disodium phosphate, sodium alginate, and sodium nitrate or nitrite.

Many food packages include sodium-related terms.  Here’s what they mean:

  • Sodium-free or salt-free.  Each serving in this product contains less than 5 mg of sodium.
  • Very low sodium.  Each serving contains 35 mg of sodium or less.
  • Low sodium.  Each serving contains 140 mg of sodium or less.
  • Reduced or less sodium.  The product contains at least 25 percent less sodium than the regular version.
  • Lite or light in sodium.  The sodium content has been reduced by at least 50% from the regular version.

Unsalted or no salt added.  No salt is add But watch ed during processing of a food that normally contains salt.  However, some foods with these labels may still be high in sodium.

out—foods labeled “reduced sodium” or “light in sodium” may still contain a lot of salt.  The bottom line? Avoid products with more than 200mg of sodium per serving.  And check the Nutrition Facts label closely for the serving size—and consider how many servings you actually eat.

Tips to cut back

  • Eat more fresh foods and fewer processed foods.  
  • Opt for low-sodium products.
  • Remove salt from recipes whenever possible.
  • Limit use of sodium-laden condiments.  Soy sauce, salad dressings, sauces, dips, etc.
  • Use herbs, spices and other flavorings to enhance foods.  And remember sea salt has about amount of sodium as table salt.
  • Use salt substitutes wisely, many contain other potential problem ingredients.

The Never-Fail “Secret” To Getting Fit

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 You see it all the time …

Advertisers telling you how they’ve uncovered the “secret” to losing weight and getting fit.

 They tell you that if you just take their one pill … follow their new revolutionary diet … or eat carbs only on every second Tuesday of the month, you will finally win the battle of the “bulge.”

 Sadly, that’s just not the case.

 There’s only one “tried-and-true” secret to losing as much fat as you want and looking great in a bathing suit or anything else you want to wear …

 What’s the secret? It’s one word: action.

 See, most people want to get fit … they want to get healthy … they want to look great and get admiring looks from passers-by.  But they’re not willing to do what it takes. It takes action to eat right. It takes action to get into the gym and workout. It takes action to find and make the time for a personal trainer who can help get you there faster. And, it takes action to learn about different supplements that can help and then actually take them on a daily basis.

 Let me ask you a question … what is the secret behind brushing your teeth this morning? Or showering and getting ready for work?

 What’s that you say? There’s no secret? You just “did it?” Well, getting in shape is no different.

 Sure, you need to educate yourself and learn about the actions you need to take. But those can be shown to you by a good personal trainer.

 Once you have the knowledge, however, the secret ingredient is to take action. Do whatever you need to do, starting with where you are.

 Are you so out of shape that climbing a flight of stairs leaves you winded? Start by walking 5-10 minutes around your neighbourhood every day. Are you exercising but eating things you know you shouldn’t on a regular basis? Then stop and start eating those things you know are good for you.

 Wherever you are and whatever your situation, there is at least one action – no matter how small – that you can take towards getting in shape. Once you figure out what that action is, then do it. Do it right now. Not tomorrow. As cliché as it sounds, you don’t want to put off tomorrow what you can do today.

 See, lots of folks already have a lot of knowledge on what it takes to get them in shape. But remember, knowledge isn’t power. Applied knowledge is. And the only way to apply something is through taking action.

 Of course, like anything else, getting into the habit of taking action is something you build, just like a muscle. Start small and grow from there. Start taking one action today … one tomorrow … then maybe two the day after … until you’re taking massive action to achieve the physique and level of health you want.

And truth be told, this isn’t just the “secret” to getting fit and looking great. It’s the secret for success in every area of your life. So once you get into the habit of taking action on getting fit, start using your action muscle in other areas of your life.

 It’s so great for me to work with clients that take this action and see what amazing transformations, in all aspects of their life, that they make.  You’ll be surprised at how much you can accomplish!

8 Tips To Raising A Healthier Child

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A healthy and active lifestyle starts at home. Here’s a few tips to encourage health and fitness lessons that will last a lifetime.

1. Make fitness a top priority. Many kids face the same workout obstacle as adults: Fitness is an afterthought.  Creating a detailed fitness plan works for both adults and kids.  Plan fitness activities throughout the week for the whole family.

2. Lead by example.  Children with active dads are 3.5 times more likely to exercise than those with inactive dads.  But when both mum and dad are active, kids are 6 times more likely to exercise.

3. Create a ’team’.  The best way to stick to an exercise program and to make it fun is to make it social.  Get some friends together to get in shape for a 5k race or a hiking trip.  For kids, be sure to start and end exercise with high-fives or a cheer.

4. Make fitness fun.  Find activities that you and your kids truly enjoy doing, such as riding bikes, rollerblading, sports, etc.  When exercise was fun or playful, 83% of overweight kids did it consistently.  And kids who took part in 10 weeks of sports and games viewed exercise more positively and were more likely to engage in fitness activities again.

5. Make your gym portable.  A playground or backyard can be a perfect exercise spot.  Try racing up the slide and sliding down, do this five times.  Do as many chin-ups as you can on the bars, or climb ropes.  Do a few sets of pushups with your hands or feet on a beam or slide.  Finish by jumping onto the benches and racing around the playground.

6. Serve smoothies. Exercise can be its own reward, but we all may need a little extra encouragement sometimes.  Integrate rewards into your activities when you think your kids may need a boost.  They’ll associate a long hike or tough bike ride with a cool fruit smoothie afterward.

7. Cut down on TV time.  Remember TV is the enemy of activity: Kids are twice as likely not to get enough exercise if they are planted in front of the TV for more than 2 hours a day.

8. Think outside the Gym.  Kids want to go, go, go.  And the gym can feel like a prison, for you and your kids.  Exercise doesn’t have to be regimented and confined—mix it up.  Gardening, nature walks, bike rides, walking the dog…just get out there and be active.

Sleep…The Missing Link

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You’ve been working hard to get in your exercise sessions and eat a healthy balanced diet, but are you still feeling a bit sluggish?  Don’t have the energy to greet the day with enthusiasm?  Hit a plateau on dropping those last few pounds?  What are you missing?

Diet, Exercise…And SLEEP

 It may be as simple as having a regular schedule of a good nights’ sleep.  Adequate sleep is necessary for healthy functioning.  Research shows that sleep regulates mood and is related to learning and memory functions.  When we sleep well, we wake up feeling refreshed and alert for our daily activities.  Sleep affects how we look, feel and perform on a daily basis, and can have a major impact on our overall quality of life.

What happens when you sleep?

 To get the most out of our sleep, both quantity and quality are important. When we are sleeping, our bodies follow a pattern of alternating REM (rapid eye movement) and NREN (non-rapid eye movement) sleep throughout a typical night, in a cycle that repeats about every 90 minutes. 

NREM is about 75% of the night; during this stage we are relaxing, our breathing and heart rate slow, our body temperature drops, we begin to fall asleep and move toward the deeper sleep.  During this stage, the blood supply to the muscles increases, hormones are released, such as growth hormones, allowing for tissue growth, repair, and development (especially in the muscles).  Also happening during this stage is a restoration of our energy levels.

 REM sleep accounts for about 25% of the night.  During this stage, we are in deep sleep, where our body becomes fully relaxed and our muscles are shut off.  While the brain is active (and typically dreaming) during this stage, this is the sleep stage that will support our daytime performance and function.

 If our sleep is cut short, the body doesn’t have time to complete all of the phases it needs for muscle repair, memory consolidation, and release of hormones regulating growth and appetite. 

 Here are a few key benefits of a regular good night’s sleep:

· Learning and memory. Sleep helps the brain to commit new information to memory.

· Metabolism and weight. Chronic sleep deprivation may cause weight gain by affecting the way our bodies process and store carbohydrates and by altering levels of hormones that affect our appetite.

· Safety. A lack of sleep contributes to a greater tendency to fall asleep during the daytime. These lapses may cause falls and mistakes such as medical errors, air traffic mishaps, and road accidents.

· Mood. Sleep loss may result in irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate, and moodiness. Too little sleep can also leave you too tired to do the things you like to do.

· Cardiovascular health. Serious sleep disorders have been linked to hypertension, increased stress hormone levels, and irregular heartbeat.

· Disease. Sleep deprivation alters immune function, including the activity of the body’s killer cells. Keeping up with sleep may also help fight cancer.

How much sleep do you need?

There’s no ‘magic number’ here.  Different age groups need different amounts of sleep and sleep needs vary by individual.  Here are the recommended ‘rule-of-thumb’ ranges:

· Teens (11-17) 8.5-9.25 hours

· Adults 7-9 hours

· Older Adults 7-9 hours

To determine how much sleep you need, it’s important to assess your own individual needs and habits.  See how you respond to different amounts of sleep, pay close attention to your mood, energy levels, and health after a poor nights sleep, versus a good one.  Determine how often you get a good night’s sleep, if it’s not often, then you may need to consider changing your sleep habits. 

Check out the Quick Tips for ways to get better sleep.

The Cancer You Can See

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 Skin Cancer…you’ve heard of it, you’ve looked at your moles with suspicion, thinking you’ll see the dermatologist about them when you ’get around to it’….but did you know that skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in Australia. 2 in 3 Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer by the age of 70. 

Skin cancer is the only cancer you can actually see and most skin cancers are preventable.  According to the Australian Cancer Council, Between 95 and 99% of skin cancers in Australia are caused by exposure to the sun —and for your children, regular sun protection throughout childhood can reduce the risk of skin cancer by up to 80%.  Here’s what you should know.

 There are basically two types of skin cancer—lethal and disfiguring. 

 The lethal kind is melanoma.  Melanoma can develop anywhere on your body, in otherwise normal skin or in an existing mole that turns malignant.  For men, melanoma most often appears on the trunk, head or neck; for women, it most often develops on the arms or legs.  The vast majority of mutations found in melanoma are caused by ultraviolet rays. 

 Melanoma accounts for about 3% of skin cancer cases, however, it causes more than 75% of skin cancer deaths.  If it is recognised and treated early, it is nearly 100% curable.  But if it is not, the cancer can advance, penetrating the skin, entering the bloodstream, and spreading to other parts of the body, where it becomes hard to treat and can be fatal.

 It’s important to get to know your skin very well to recognise when any changes in the moles on your body appear.  What to look for—the ’ABCDE’s’ of melanoma if you see one or more, make an appointment with your dermatologist immediately.

· Asymmetry: if you draw a line through a mole and the two halves do not match

· Border: the borders of an early melanoma tend to be uneven, the edges may be scalloped or notched.

· Colour: having a variety of colours is a warning signal

· Diameter: melanomas usually are larger in diameter than the size of the eraser on a pencil

· Evolving: any change—in size, shape, colour, elevation, or another trait or any new symptom such as bleeding, itching or crusting—can point to danger

Prompt action is your best protection against melanoma.

 The other kinds of skin cancer—Basal-cell carcinoma and Squamos-cell carcinoma—can be disfiguring. 

 Basal-cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer, affecting about 434,000 Australians each year.  These cancers arise in the basal cells, which line the deepest layer of the top skin layer.  Basal–cell carcinomas occur on parts of the body excessively exposed to the sun—especially the face, ears, neck, scalp, shoulders, and back.  On rare occasions, BCC tumors can develop on unexposed areas. 

 Squamos-cell carcinoma, the second most common skin cancer, develops in the squamos cells that make up most of the skin’s upper layers (epidermis).  Squamos-cell carcinomas are most common in areas frequently exposed to sun, such as the rim of the ear, lower lip, face, bald scalp, neck, hands, arms and legs; however, it can occur on all areas of the body.

 Both, basal–cell carcinomas and squamos-cell carcinomas are easily treated and cause minimal damage, if detected at an early stage.  The larger the tumor has grown, however, the more extensive the treatment needed.  Although these skin cancer seldom spreads, they can damage surrounding tissue sometimes causing considerable destruction and disfigurement.

 Skin cancers are on the rise, no matter your age or skin colour—each year there are more new cases of skin cancer than the combined incidence of breast, prostate, lung and colon cancer.

Here’s a few tips for prevention:

· Avoid the sun between 10am and 4pm.  The sun’s rays are strongest during this period—even in winter or when its cloudy.

· Wear sunscreen everyday year-round.  Choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen that has a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15; look for ingredients such as titanium dioxide and mexoryl, they do a better job of blocking UVA rays.

· Wear protective clothing, a broad-brimmed hat, and don’t forget sunglasses. 

· Be aware of sun-sensitising medications.

· Avoid tanning beds and tan-accelerating agents.

· Check your skin regularly and report changes to your doctor.

Visit the Cancer Council – www.cancer.org.au for more.

The “Best Medicine” For Your Heart

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 When’s the last time you had a good laugh?

 Not just any kind of laugh, but the gut-busting, tear-inducing kind of laugh that leaves you barely breathing?

 I hope it hasn’t been too long. Because as it turns out, laughter is not just all fun and games.

 Recent science shows that a good laugh a day, may very well keep heart attack at bay.

 Cardiologists at the  Royal Australasian College of Physicians (FRACP) decided to test the effects of laughter on the heart.

 They compared the humour responses of 300 participants, half of which had previously experienced a heart attack or had bypass surgery. The other half did not have heart disease.

 The results? – “The old saying that ‘laughter is the best medicine’, definitely appears to be true when it comes to protecting your heart.”

 In another study, the same group of cardiologists at the FRACP decided to study the positive effects of laughter on the heart even further.

 What they found was quite surprising…

 Laughter actually makes the tissue that forms the inner lining of blood vessels (known as the endothelium) to expand in order to increase blood flow.

 So there’s one VERY good reason to start laughing a LOT more often.

 Also, you already know that in addition to laughter you should be exercising and eating healthy. But here’s what you may not know…

There are four heart-healthy foods you can include in your diet that can help protect your heart and keep it healthy for a long, long time.

 Blueberries— I’m sure you’ve already heard blueberries are high in antioxidants. But new research shows they also help lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. Eat them plain, add them to oatmeal or a fruit salad.

 Garlic—This tasty herb has been shown to relax the lining of your blood vessels. This helps reduce high blood pressure. Add it to as many meals as you like. The more, the better!

 Omega 3 fats — These “good” fats help protect you from heart disease. You can get your fill by eating fish  (salmon being the best option). Or, you can take it as a supplement. Pretty much any local grocery store should carry it.

 Beetroot — Not always a favourite, but beetroot is actually great for your heart. They help reduce high-blood pressure. You can either start eating more beetroot or drink some beetroot juice everyday to get maximum benefit.

Remember, laughter is definitely one of the “Best medicines” for your heart. But don’t forget to also eat right, exercise, and incorporate one of the four heart-healthy foods into your diet!

If you have questions about this article, or would like to know more about taking care of your heart and the overall health recommendations we give to our clients, just give us a call at 0421 287 107 to schedule a free, no obligation consultation.

Can caffeine boost your exercise performance?

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 Caffeine is the most widely used drug in the world.  Nearly 100% of adult men and (non-pregnant) women report some level of caffeine consumption.  And about 80% of Australians drink coffee (55% daily; 25% occasionally).

 Due to its widespread availability and use, both socially and as an ergogenic aid (substances, devices, or practices that enhance an individual’s energy use, production, or recovery), caffeine was removed from the list of banned substances for athletes.

 Caffeine, a naturally occurring substance found in a variety of plants, is generally accepted by most sports scientists as an effective ergogenic aid. 

How does caffeine affect performance in exercise and sports?

Its stimulating effect on the central nervous system reduces the sensation of fatigue, perception of work effort and even pain.  Caffeine also contributes to improved mental clarity, greater concentration, focus and technical skill during and after strenuous activity or fatigue. Ingested caffeine is quickly absorbed by the body and peaks in 1-2 hours.

 There are more than 74 good studies on the use of caffeine for both endurance exercise and short-term, higher intensity exercise.  The vast majority of the studies conclude that caffeine does indeed enhance performance and makes the effort seem easier (by about six percent).

 A common explanation to why endurance is improved with caffeine is the muscle glycogen is spared.  Glycogen is the stored energy in the muscle tissue that is broken down during exercise.  Studies suggest that glycogen sparing may occur as a result of caffeine’s ability to increase fat availability for skeletal muscle use.  It is important to note, however, that studies so far cannot fully explain the ergogenic effect of caffeine.

How much improvement can you gain from a jolt of caffeine before your workout? 

It depends on many factors, including:

  • duration and intensity of the activity
  • How much caffeine you ingest
  • When you take it
  • Whether you are a habitual caffeine user

The average improvement in the studioz was about 12 percent, with more benefits noticed during endurance exercise than with shorter exercise (eight to 20 minutes).  More benefits were also noticed in people who rarely drink coffee, who were not tolerant to its stimulant effect.

Because each person responds differently to caffeine, don’t assume you’ll perform better with a caffeine-boost.  Depending on when you do your workouts and how you feel before getting started, you can determine if you feel the need for a caffeine boost.  Caffeine comes in various forms—coffee, soft drink, energy drinks, gels, chews, etc.—try a few options to find the one that works best for you prior to a workout.  For example, acidic coffee may cause you a bit of nausea during your workout, whereas a chew may settle better for you.

 And as we’ve mentioned before, watch out for those extra ‘empty’ liquid calories.  Remember specialty coffees may be filled with extra, unnecessary fat and calories.

So how much caffeine is needed to feel a boost?

A moderate caffeine intake is considered to be 250 mg/day or the equivalent of 2 and a half cups of coffee a day.  In research studies, the amount of caffeine that enhances performance ranges from 1.5 to 4 mg per pound of body weight taken one hour before exercise.  For a 70 kg person, this comes to about 225 to 600 mg.  More doesn’t seem to be better.

 Caffeine levels in products vary, such as: Diet Coke, 12 oz: 30 mg; Espresso, 1 oz shot: 40 mg; Red Bull, 8 oz can: 80 mg; Starbucks, 16 oz coffee: 200 mg.

 According to the Australian Council of Sports Medicine, for the average teenager or adult who is exercising with the goal of enjoyment and self-improvement, using caffeine defeats the purpose.  Although we may feel as though we are increasing our performance, it’s more related to the temporary effects of caffeine.  Proper training, nutritional habits, and sleep are more sensible and productive approaches (without the side effects) to get the most benefit from your exercise routine.

The Power of Protein

Protein is essential to the growth, repair, and maintenance of all body tissues. It is also required for making enzymes – catalysts essential to all life processes, and hormones – powerful chemical messengers that circulate through your bloodstream to specific target cells, where they generate a wide range of biological responses. It also helps your body maintain fluid and electrolyte balance, provides a source of energy, and helps your body fight off disease. These are the powers of protein!

 These powers are made possible by eating adequate amounts of protein from a variety of lean meats, fish, and poultry, as well as soy and milk, which supply the body with amino acids, the basic building blocks from which the body can make its own proteins.

Not All Protein Is Created Equal

Foods provide about 20 different amino acids, of which more than half are considered to be ‘nonessential.’ In other words, the body can make them for itself. However, nine other amino acids are considered ‘essential,’ meaning the body is unable to make them on its own. And unlike the carbohydrates and fats we consume, amino acids are not stored in the body. Therefore, the body must rely on a constant and steady supply from the protein-rich foods we eat every day. 

 So what are the best sources of dietary protein? And is there a difference between animal and vegetable sources? Well, it is true that not all dietary protein is created equal. It really is the protein quality of your diet that, in large part, determines how well a child will grow and develop and how well an adult will maintain his or her health. Put simply, high-quality proteins provide enough of all the essential amino acids needed to support the body’s work, and lower-quality proteins don’t. Two key factors that influence protein quality are the protein’s digestibility and its amino acid composition. Protein digestibility is a measure of the amount of amino acids absorbed from a given protein intake, and amino acid composition refers to the simultaneous availability of all the needed amino acids from a food we choose to eat. In general, animal-sourced proteins (meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy) are considered high-quality proteins, as is soy, a vegetable-sourced protein. However, other vegetable proteins tend to be of much lower quality and are often referred to as ‘incomplete’ proteins because they do not provide all the essential amino acids the body needs. Incomplete proteins can come from fruits, vegetables, grains, and nuts.

  • Health Benefits: When most of us think about the health benefits of dietary protein – its role in bodybuilding comes to mind, and rightly so. No new body tissue can be built without it. However, research also suggests that the intake of high-quality protein in the context of an overall healthful diet may also have positive effects on our body weight and body composition as we age, as well as play a role in the prevention of chronic diseases such as heart disease, certain types of cancer, and osteoporosis.
  • Weight Management: Studies have shown that achieving a healthy weight and maintaining that weight can help add years to your life, and scientists believe that dietary protein may play an important role in weight management.
  • Age-Related Muscle Loss: After about age 40, most adults will lose anywhere between 0.5% and 1% of their skeletal muscle mass each year. And in the early years, this gradual loss may go unnoticed because it might be masked by a concurrent increase in body fat. However, chronic muscle loss or what is known as sarcopenia is estimated to affect about 30% of people over age 60 and may affect more than 50% of those over age 80. Insufficient protein intake in older adults can contribute to a loss of muscle, and although the optimal amount of protein to prevent or offset the progression of sarcopenia has yet to be established, research findings suggest that protein intakes modestly above the present recommended dietary allowance of 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day (i.e. 1 gram per kilogram of body weight per day or higher) enhance muscle mass in older adults who regularly perform resistance exercise. Protein intake in older adults also appears to have a more beneficial effect when consumed within an hour or so of resistance exercise. Emerging research also suggests that dairy protein, especially whey protein, may minimize sarcopenia because of its high concentration of leucine, an amino acid known to stimulate muscle protein synthesis.
  • Cardiovascular Disease: One concern that has been raised about the trend in high-protein diets for weight loss has been that eating diets high in protein and fat, and low in carbohydrate, would harm the heart. However, recent research findings suggest that if done in a healthy way, eating a little more protein, especially vegetable protein, while cutting back on refined carbohydrates may actually benefit the heart.

How Much Protein Is Enough?  

Although no one-size-fits-all answer exists for that question and research on the topic is still emerging, the current recommended dietary allowance for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day for healthy young adults. That comes to about 62 grams of protein a day for a person who weighs 170 pounds. Although growing children, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and older adults may need a little more (1.0-1.3 grams per kilogram of body weight), getting the minimum daily requirement of protein is fairly easy. Cereal with milk for breakfast, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch, and a piece of fish with a side of beans for dinner adds up to about 70 grams of protein.   It’s also important to pay attention to what comes along with the protein in your food choices. An eight-ounce broiled porterhouse steak is a great source of complete protein-54 grams worth. But it also delivers 44 grams of fat, 16 of which are saturated. Saturated fats raise blood cholesterol, and high blood cholesterol increases the risk of heart disease. On the other hand, a cup of cooked lentils has 18 grams of protein, but less than one gram of fat.

Vegetable sources of protein, including soy protein beverage mixes, are also an excellent choice and many also provide healthful amounts of other essential nutrients such as fiber, vitamins, and minerals. The best animal protein choices are fish and poultry. If you are partial to red meat, such as beef, pork, or lamb, stick with the leanest cuts, choose moderate portion sizes, and make it only an occasional part of your diet.

The Life Of Your Eyes & How To Keep Em’ Healthy

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Our eyes are truly an amazing piece of ‘equipment’. Your eyes are your body’s most highly  developed sensory organs. In fact, a far larger part of your brain is dedicated to your vision than those of hearing, taste, touch, or smell combined!

We tend to take our eye sight for granted…but when problems arise we can get our vision back to normal. Here’s some basic info that you need to know about your eyes, common issues and  how to keep em’ healthy.

Anatomy of an eye

” At the front of each eye lies the comea, a rounded bulge that allows the light inside. The light that passes through the pupil, a transparent place in the centre of the coloured iris. behind the pupil is the lens, which is connected to the zonules (ligaments that tighten and slacken to focus). light goes through the eyes and hits the retina, the tissue at the back of the eye, which sends a message through the optic nerve to the brain, telling it what your looking at.”

Eyes at all ages

When your born, the lenses inside your eyes are generally crystal clear and flexible, and the ligaments connected to them are strong.

Did you know that the eye grows during childhood? The length of the eye (from front to back) elongates nearly one third between birth and age 5 and the volume of the eye nearly doubles! As we age the senses become less flexible and the ligaments are not as effective. Your eye shape, which is genetically determined, may mean you loose corrective lenses.

Into your 40′s you begin to loose your ability to focus up close, this is called presbyopia. This is because the lenses are getting harder and the ligaments are weakening. Even if you’ve always had perfect eyesight , you mite need reading glasses around this time.

5o’s amd beyond…The lenses continue to harden and you may need stronger corrective lenses or even bifocals (which have lenses that have two perscriptions built into them). You also at greater risk of  developing an eye disease.

Common vision problems
Nearsightedness & farsightedness- These issues have to do with the way the eye brings images into focus on the back of the eyeball, where 10 layers of delicate nerve tissue makes up the retina. Images that do not focus on the retina will appear blurry. The further away images focus from the retina, the blurrier they appear.

Nearsightedness (doc’s call it myopia) affects 40% of the population. The conditon runs in families and affects men and women equally, usually appearing in childhood and stabilising in the 20′s.

Farsightedness (or hyperopia) is the opposite of nearsightedness. Children often outgrow farsightedness as they mature and the eyeball reaches adult size.    

Astigmatism- Nearly two thirds of the eye’s focussing power occurs along it’s front surface or comea. The normal comea should have a semi-spherical contour, similar to a soup spoon. With astigmatism, the central comea is not symetrical or uniform.

Astigmatism often combined with nearsightedness or farsightedness, occurs when the comea has a non-round curvature-more like a teaspoon. Because of that, the eye lacks a single point of focus. people with astigmatism may have a random, inconsistent vision pattern, where some objects appear clear and others blurry.

Astigmatism is usually present form birth but is typically not recognised until later in life. most astigmatism is fully correctable. It neither improves nor worsens over time.

Colour blindness-  is most commonly a disorder of the retina’s light-sensitive photoreceptor cells, which respond to different coloured light rays. We have two kinds of photoreceptors- cones and rods- each produces a pigment that respond to specific colours of light.  Colour vision is affected if those pigments are absent, defective or or if they respond to the wrong wavelengths. Colour perception problems occur more often in men, afflicting 24% of the male population. It is extreemly rare for someone to be totally colourblind, able to see only shades of gray.

Common eye diseases
cataracts- These form when the lenses of the eyes become cloudy. Your eye become like a window that is frosted of yellowed. Around half of Australians aged between over 65 to 74 have cataracts. The most common type if cataract is related to aging. In age related cataract, the centre of the lens gradually hardens and becomes cloudy occuring gradually over a period of years. If you begin to notice your vision blurring , visit your eye docter for an exam, cataratcs are a common cause of vision loss, but they are treatable.

Glaucoma-  Glaucomia damages the optic nerve fibres, causing blind spots to develop. If the entire nerve is destroyed, blindness results. This disease affects thousands of australians and is our leading cause of blindness. Early treatment can often prevent loss of sight. Regular eye examinations by your doctor are the best way to detect glaucoma.

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