Detox Guidelines

Congrats on making it through the high protein diet! I didn't find I was at all hungry, but I was definately snappy! Now it's time to detox. I always find the detox section the most challenging, probably due to the lack of coffee permitted and the headaches that result. It is an important step though, as we haven't been exactly kind to our bodies for the last two weeks, and who knows what other toxins have accumulated over the past months or years - particularly if you don't consume enough water.

So here are the guidelines...

No red meat, fish is fine (eat it everyday if you want, make sure it's fresh and not canned or crumbed) and a little chicken (say twice a week).

No Dairy, yoghurt is fine (make sure it's free from any additives labelled between 200-220), as is dairy substitutes such as rice, oat or soy milk.

No Tea or Coffee, while the caffeine is of some concern, it's actually the phytates that we are trying to eliminate, which interfere with nutrient absorption.

Limit Potato intake, the good news is you can have some root vegetables, but don't over indulge, try not to exceed 1-2 potatoes per day (even if they are in a soup).

No bread or flour based foods - we want whole foods that are a challenge for the body the breakdown and are loaded with nutrients (no empty calories).

No refined cereals - stick to the whole grains, like oats or muesli.

No pasta or white rice - some brown or wild rice is ok. You might like to try some grains like quinoa or couscous.

Limit egg intake - no more than 1 per day.

Do utilise nuts, particularly natural ones (not roasted) and buy sulphite free. Remember nuts are very energy dense so only 1-2 handfuls per day.

Do eat lots of fruit and vegetables of a wide variety - try to buy non-artificially ripened, pesticide free produce.

Eat legumes and pulses, they contain the amino acid methionine which very good for digestion.

Drink lots of water, aim for 2 Litres per day - small frequent sips is far kinder to the kidneys than guzzling half a litre at a time.

Breakfast suggestions

I'm probably going to make a berry smoothie (1 cup of frozen berries and half a glass of apple juice).

Porridge made with a dairy alternative is a great start to the day. Or a muesli.

If you're going the smoothie option, be creative, there are lots of possibilities.

Morning Tea suggestions

1 cup of yoghurt.

Fruit or cut up veggies

Handful of nuts.

Lunch suggestions

I will be making a pot of soup and eating that or making a big salad with a light vinegarette.

You could have fish/chicken and steamed veggies or salad.

If your forced to buy takeaway as I am when I have to go to the city Nando's chicken salad is a good option, or a subway salad bowl.

Afternoon Tea

Same as morning tea

Dinner

Fish/chicken and veggies/salad (you can have fish every night if you want, but limit chicken to twice a week)

Veggie and lentil patties are always a hit in my house, just roll them in quinoa or couscous instead of breadcrumbs.

Chicken and veggie  stir fry with some rice, quinoa or couscous.

Theres always soup....

Sweets

Fruit - try something decadent like a mango, strawberries, pineapple or dragonfruit.

Dried fruit - I love those pawpaw spears. Remember dried fruit is very energy dense so just a small handful.

Remember not to eat 2 hours before your bedtime!

Have a glass of water first thing in the morning.

Good Luck. Feel free to email me is you have any questions.

If you haven't entered our competiton yet, it closes on 31/10/10 all you need to do is email me your best 'fat' photo - that's it! There are 10 Onya prize packs to be won.

Have a great week

Kylie xx

Little Known Nutrition Facts

Here is some nutrition trivia to help you fight the high protein diet blues....

1.It takes 20 minutes for the brain to get the message that you have eaten. Try to make your meal last that long, instead of wolfing it down and sniffing around for seconds. Have a glass of water instead and wait out the 20 minutes, if you really are still hungry, brush your teeth.

2.Drink water after every meal. Your body doen't actually have time to breakdown everything. But if your body has to provide the fluids for digestion it is very keen to reabsorb those fluids and retain toxins inorder to avoid dehydration. It's a bit like having a car and never changing the oil.

3.1 Litre of water consumed equates to 1Kg on the scales. Try it we did it at uni it really works! This doesn't mean stop drinking water! But factor this in when you weigh yourself - do it first thing in the morning before anything is consumed.

4.Your body is actually a reflection of the conditions about 4 weeks prior. Hydration is the only factor that can influence this. This is why I don't want you weighing yourself during the rapid weightloss, as one can easily get discouraged. 1 month after the completion of the diet is when we should see the most significant results.

5.As babies we have 50,000 more tastebuds than as an adult. Taste is the first of the senses to deplete. This is why we should always retry foods that we previously disliked, as tastebuds really do change. If you have small children, don't decide at the age of 2 that they don't like something - people carry it for their whole lives. Make a fuss that they are 'big' enough to like something now, trust me, as a Kindy/Preprimary teacher, I KNOW this angle works!

6.Fresh fruit and vegetables should be consumed within 20 minutes of cutting. Fruits and vergetables continue to respire (slowly 'breathing out') after they have been picked - in some cases for months. Once they have been cut open, cellular death occurs and with in 20 minutes it will 'die'. There are wonderful phytochemicals that can be utilised during this period, as well as the 'lifeforce' of the plant that really does contribute to health and vitality.

7.Telfon coating on baking trays, that has a habit of flaking off, actuallu won't hurt you. Teflon is inert which means that it passes straight through the body, untouched.

8. There is the same amount of energy in olive oil as there is in lard. While the effects on the body are very different,. they have the same Kilojoule content. A few celebrity chefs would have you drizzle olive oil over your meal, it is a very quick way to over-consume Kilojoules.

I'll give you some more trivia when we're half way through the detox which is coming up next week. I'll post all you need over the weekend.

I know it's tough, the high protein diet, while it doen't leave you feeling hungry, it does give you alot of irrational rage. Just be aware of it and be kind to those who love you.

We have a competition on facebook, where if you click 'like' you go in the draw to win great Onya prizes, including stainless steel drink bottles, weighbags, petbags and groovy shopping bags.

Don't forget you can always email me with any questions at asnatureintended@bigpond.com or post me on facebook.

Hang in there xx

2 Week High Protein Diet

It's finally time to get medievil!!!

The next 4 weeks are going to be tough, but I promise will be worth it! I can not stress enough how important it is to gradually reduce the kilojoule intake and increase physical activity as we have been doing over the past few weeks. Weight loss will be much less successful for those who have not done the preparation and launch straight into high protein. Most people lose about 10Kg over the 4 week period (that includes the coming 2 week detox). How much you lose will depend on your start weight, metabolism and consistency.

The big no no's are alcohol, bread, pasta, rice and starchy vegetables (potatoes, pumpkin, corn).

Make sure you have nothing important on, like exams or important meetings. High protein diets, while are very effective, have a negative impact on concentration, mood and mental computation.

To give you some understanding about why this is. The body has preferred energy pathways depending on conditions. When you are going about your normal daily activities that don't cause you to be out of breath (eg oxygen is available) the body with use fat to synthesis glucose.

When you are running or doing a vigorous activity the body will synthesise glycogen from carbohydrates. The body can only store about an hour's worth of gylcogen and will spare these stores at all costs - they are actually intended for the 'fight or flight response'.

Protein will only be broken down for energy purposes in desparate times - when there is no other alternative. It takes alot of effort for the body to do this and the by-product that is produced is keytone bodies. They cause a poisioned acidic state that place a lot of pressure on the kidneys and leaves the brain starved for nourishment. The brain will only use carbohydrates for energy.

The body is very resilient and that is why we can do it for a couple of weeks, but celebrities that swear by the Atkins and Zone Diets are suffering themselves and doing a dis-service to the public by endorsing them. Fertility is something that is effected by this lifestyle and it always makes me shake my head when certain celebrities complain that they can't get pregnant.

2 week high protein guide

Breakfast choices: eggs, bacon, meat, seafood, smoothie. I will be having a smoothie containing 3/4 cup cold skim milk, 1 cold banana, 1 teaspoon of hot chocolate powder and blended for about 30 seconds. You can you any fruit.

If you go for the bacon and eggs, be sure to have a piece of fruit about 1/2 hour later. The reason for the delay its to create the serotonin effect. Basically, serotonin is the happy chemical in your brain, bit like prozac. It can only be synthesised when there is no competition from a protein source. I'm trying not too get techincal, just eat the fruit half an hour after the eggs n bacon to set up good brain chemistry for the morning.

Morning Tea choices: yoghurt, fruit, handful of nuts or a small choc milk. I will be having fruit or yoghurt.
Lunch choices: meat and salad, tuna, eggs, cheese, seafood. Some people go and get a big hunk of ham. I will be roasting a lump of meat that I can eat over a few days with a little salad.
Afternoon tea: same as morning tea
Dinner choiced: meat and veg/salad. This should be the easiest as it won't impact the rest of the family.
Sweets:jelly, stewed fruit, 1 scoop of icecream 
For morning/afternoon tea a sweets the portions should be small eg 1/2 cup yoghurt. The other meals have as much as you like, most people have a limit to how much meat or eggs they can stomach. You will actually look foward to the meat free component of the detox diet!

Important - don't weigh or measure yourself during this time.
Consume a litre of water. You can have tea/coffee. No fruit juice.
In regard to exercise, it is a good idea to mix things up and keep surprising the body. If you can only manage walking, try an find a different route with more inclines. However, if you are able bodied, its time to start adding some tummy crunches, squats, lunges or other weight bearing exercises. The combination of cardio and weight bearing is the most effective. I'm going to drag out my denise austin short cuts dvds. They are 10 minute workouts that focus of different areas. With my kids its hard to commit to a 40 min dvd. You have to do what works for you - I hear Zumba's great. If your at a gym that has Les Mills Body Attack classes - I swear by them and they are so much fun.

Good Luck! Remember you can email me anytime at asnatureintended@bigpond.com with any questions.
The competition for the Onya prize pack closes 31st October so if you haven't sent in your before photo - do it now!

Kylie xx
    

All about breakfast

The last week before the rapid weightloss!!

The last item on the agenda before we embark on a 2 week high protein diet is BREAKFAST.

As previously mentioned, the body desires hydration upon waking, so we want to give it water, not coffee/tea. Herbal tea is ok as long as it isn't artificially flavoured as many are.

After a glass or two of water, your body requests complex carbs. Your brain can only function on carbs and it is ready to wake up. However, breakfast needs to provide a balance of quick brain food and sustained energy.

A combination of cereal and fruit will do this. The fruit can be broken down readily and perk up the brain, while the cereal breaksdown slowly providing energy to mid morning. The best combination is porridge and sliced fruit. There are many reported health benefits of eating oats, particularly the cholesterol lowering effect.

What if you don't like porridge??? Choose a cereal that isn't highly processed. If the cereal isn't a challenge for the body to breakdown, the body will be flooded with insulin and excess kilojoules will be stored. So the cheerio and compressed biscuit varieties are not a good option.

Museli is a good option, just be wary of sulphites in the dried fruit/nuts. And be aware that dried fruit and nuts are very energy dense. 1/2 a cup of museli or 1 cup of cereal/porridge with lowfat milk is the recommendation. I always recommend A2 milk, you can read all about that on my website http://www.asnatureintended.net.au/

The rule of thumb for sugar content of a cereal is max 15g per 100g and 5g per 100g of fat. This is considered a modest intake, as to be classified a low fat or low sugar there can only contain 3g per 100g of fat or sugar.

When your next at the shops, see how many cereals you can find that actually fulfils this criteria - there won't be many! Most breakfast cereals are actually more like dessert!

If you must eat toast, make sure it's a beautiful loaf with lots of seeds and grains - go easy on the toppings and avoid vegemite and peanut butter.

Next week is the high protein diet and I will be posting everthing you need for that in the next couple of days.

and by the way, I've dropped a dress size and finally thrown away those ugly maternity jeans and brought a pair of size 12 jeans!

I hope your progressing well, this week we'll do another measure - weight, waist, hips.

This would be a PERFECT TIME to take a photo of yourself and email to me! There are great prizes to be won and all you need to do is SEND A PHOTO to asnatureintended@bigpond.com  

Understanding your metabolism

This week is about changing your snack intake - what is reasonable to consume for morning and afternoon tea? Well it's going to depend on your energy requirements, but the most important aspect is to control the intake of saturated fat. For all people the range is between 7-10g - which is not alot. Saturated fat is the fat that contains LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) which clogs the arteries.

So rule of thumb is 4 plain biscuits (eg milk arrowroots) in any one day or one evil biscuit. This treat can be saved up so once a week you can enjoy a lovely cake or whatever turns you on. The point is, that you can't indulge everyday.

So what is on offer? fruit, cut up veggies with a low fat dip, low joule jellies, skim milk smoothies, handful of nuts/seeds, fruit tub (benzoate free). Weight watchers have some great recipes or books like skinny bitch in the kitch - but be careful with portions.

There's alot of who ha about nuts and allergies, the truth is that more people are allergic to the sulphites that they are preserved with than the actual nut. Get tested properly before you rule out this valuable food source.

Lots of pre-package foods are preserved with sodium/potassium benzoate. Commonly found in yoghurts, fruit tubs, cordials, soft drinks etc. The benzoate have been found to cause hyperactivity and aggression in children and impaired concentration and irritability in adults. Other countries have banned (or are in the process) this substance, it is widely used in Australia, Asia and America.

The biggest lifestyle change you can make is creating the distiction between a treat and an everyday food. Once you understand that the baby-boomers were over-indulged by their parents who had lived through decades of deprivation, due to two world wars and the great depression. We all want to give out kids what we missed in our own childhoods, but this is a party that has gone on for too long - enough is enough. The result of this indulgence is obesity, heart failure and type 2 diabetes (which is now showing up as early as 20!)

That being said, there is no reason why a person who doesn't indulge everyday can't enjoy a birthday party or a nice meal out - it's when we try to do this on a daily basis that trouble occurs. I love food as much as anyone and am certainly NOT suggesting a life of deprivation!

What factors affect metabolism?

The reason why we don't want to go on some crazy starvation diet is we can actually end up sabotaging our efforts. This is because the body will decrease its basal metabolic rate by about 15%. We are slowly introducing the body to negative nitrogen balance, without shocking it into starvation mode. If you don't eat adequately for appoximately 5 hours, starvation mode will kick in. It is very difficult to persuade the body to come out of this state - afterall it doesn't want you to die!
Illness will increase metabolism by about 15%, so there is actually some truth in the old wives tale "feed a cold, starve a fever" A fever is hindered by dehydration and food will only further dehydrate the body. Did you know that if you were stranded in the desert and you food but no water - eating the food will actually kill you faster. The body can last at least a week without food, but without water you will die within 3 days!
Women with PMS (usually the few days before a period) will often crave treats, this is because the body actually requires about 800Kj extra a day. It is actually better for to indulge (and the people around you will be grateful too!)
If you haven't heard we are running a competion - Send us your 'before' photo by 31st October 2010 and you could win one of 10 Onya prize packs (including a 750ml stainless steel drink bottle, bottle jacket and a groovy onya original bag).
Send us your 'after' photo by 1st March 2011 and you could win $500!!!
Simply email us your photo and contact details to asnatureintended@bigpond.com to be in the draw.
Good Luck
Ps don't forget to find us on facebook!

Time to crank it up a notch, plus ever wondered why you eat the way you do?

I trust that your exercising is going well, don't lose heart if you are struggling with it - it takes about a month to get used to it and longer to love it. I'm finding my runs around the property are going well. I can incorporate the kids so I feel alot less anxious than when I exercise indoors and I have no pesky kids to trip over.
My waist to hip ratio was 0.76 which is not at risk of disease. However the Wii fit has me as obese - huh? The Wii uses a BMI which is not a good indicator of health risk.
If your waist measurement is larger than your hips (not uncommon with men), I would not hesitate going to the doctors. You may already have type 2 diabetes, hypertension or heart disease.
So what next.......
This week I am changing my lunch meal. As it is freezing cold still in Australia, I have made a big pot of veggie soup. This can easily be taken to work or enjoyed at home. Use seasonal veggies, prefereably spray free and not artificially ripened.
Aternatively, make a big salad with lots of stuff in it and a low oil dressing. Another idea is stir-fried veggies, if your not at home, do it the night before. You can eat as much as you want - so fill up!
A word on commercial soups - be wary of those that say No MSG or No ADDED preservatives. The key word is ADDED, which is code for 'we used preserved ingredients such as oil or vinegar, but didn't actually add the preservatives ourselves'. The following is either identical to MSG or upto 15 times the strength of MSG: 621,620,635, yeast extract or hydrolysed vegetable or animal protein. Flavour enhancers cause inflammation and water retention, not to mention nastier effects in more sensitive individuals.
Ok so how did you get to be overweight? If your like me and had a baby or 4, you know what the answer is. If not, weight is mereley a symptom of another factor. See which category you fit in to. Until you address the underlying cause of the weight gain, this will continute to be a problem.

TIME MANAGEMENT: People are too busy to cook healthy foods. They have no time to read food labels to investigate what they are actually eating. They have a tendency to buy pre-packaged or fast foods.


EMOTIONAL ISSUES: People who eat to self medicate. They crave sugar highs, have low fibre diets that leads to brief satiation. They have a tendency to suffer from mood swings and will consume high carb foods that give a prozac like effect. Eating equals happiness, destress or numbness.


IGNORANCE: Well intentioned people who are easily influenced by advertising. Not have the knowledge of how food is metabolised and that excess kilojoules are stored as fat, not just fat! It requires having a basic understanding of their bodies kilojoule requirements and participating in sufficient physical exercise. Energy in minus Energy out equals your body weight. Find out how much and of which type of food your body requires, stop eating for the sake of it or out of habit. Make simple brand changes that won’t be noticed. Remember that treats are treats, everyday is not Xmas. Find out what is a treat and what is everyday food. Just because we are not living through war rations or the depression, just because we can indulge, doesn’t mean we should. Our parents and grandparents went without – we are over indulged, start being realistic with what is reasonable to consume in a day!

This truly is the key to permanent weight loss.

 

Calculating your estimated energy requirements

I believe that it is useful to understand what your individual energy requirement are, you will need a calculator..
Women aged 15-22   7900Kj (1900 calories)
                    23-50   7500Kj (1800 calories)
                    51-65   7100Kj (1700 calories)

This is based on a height of 162cm for every cm you are above or below this height you need to add or substract 105Kj (25 calories)
If you have a very physical job you can add 2100Kj (i do have a list of all the occupations and the estimated energy expenditures)
If you are breastfeeding you can add 1500Kj
If you are very inactive, subtract 840Kj
Men aged 15-22  10900Kj (2600 calories) 
               23-50  9600Kj (2300 calories)
               51-65  8400Kj (2000 calories)
Follow the same steps as listed in the women for height and activity level.

To give you an idea, your breakfast and lunch should be a max of 2,000Kj, dinner a max of 3,000Kj and snacks should make up the rest. Obviously this is just a rough guide. Ofcourse none of this is helpful if you can't read a food label, or have access to nutrition data for whole foods. I will help you with this as we get further along.

This week is about establishing an exercise routine. Choose a time that works for you. What you choose in terms of an activity is upto you. For me, I'm going to Wii Fit at about 5am before the kids wake up. The Wii fit gives you a date stamp when you've exercised and I find that useful to establish a routine, plus its really fun!. I'm also going to increase my incidental exercise, for example take the stairs, park the car further away and walk instead of drive etc. I'm also going to join my kids with their daily races they have around the chook pen, usually I just watch.

With my 3rd child I would put the littlies in the double stroller, walk my oldest to school and go for a big walk (with a stop at the park for a play). As I got fitter I would do an exercise dvd when I got back as the kids would always fall asleep on the way home.

With my 1st and 2nd babies, I was a gym junkie. The kids would go in the creche and I would do a variety of activities. I was also teaching body balance (a yoga pilates class).

In the beginning, prior to kids, I would get up at 5am and either go running or use the home gym. I used to tape aerobics ozstyle and do that sometimes.

I have the most constraints on my ability to exercise than ever before, but I have determination!

Choose what works for you! Just do something that makes you puff for an hour.

Exercise has more influence over weight loss, where as food intake has more influence over health.

Just remember you will probably hate to exercise at first, but you will get hooked on the endorphins and eventually you'll look forward to it (really!)
Also don't forget to take some before photos and weigh yourself 1st thing in the morning, before you eat and preferably after you've been to the toilet.
Next post will be about next week's food intake and some info about what influences food choices.
Happy exercising!