I am now 17 days into my “quitting sugar” experiment and it is time I gave you some of the scientific facts about why too much sugar in your diets is not a good thing!!

When we (me, you, the media, doctors, health professionals etc etc) talk about sugar, usually, all sugars are dumped into the one sugar bowl. There are however, many different type of sugars in our diets and each play different roles nutritionally.

The important thing to understand is that not all sugars are created equal!!

Here are some quick (& hopefully easily understood) facts!

Ó   There are two types of carbohydrates  - simple and complex.

Ó   Simpler forms of carbs are called sugars and the complex forms are often referred to as starches or dietary fibres. They have of course far more scientific names but no need to go into that now!

Ó   The common simple sugars are – glucose/galactose/fructose.

Ó   Glucose (also called dextrose and blood sugar)  is the principal sugar used in the body.

Ó   Fructose (also called levulose) is found in fruit, honey and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).

Ó   Galactose – for the purpose of this blog, gets a ‘don’t go there’ pass, we are not going to talk about- it is not the one doing the damage!!

Ó   Fructose my friends is the bad guy – he is the one  getting the bad wrap! Does he deserve to you may ask?…well yes and …no! But the yes in our fast moving, convenient society that we live in, outweighs the no!

Ó   Fructose of all the natural occurring sugars, is sweeter – 1.73 times more sweeter than sucrose (table sugar) and sucrose is 30% sweeter than glucose.

Ó   Food manufacturers now use fructose  (converted into high fructose corn syrup), because of its sweetness and low manufacturing costs as a food sweetener.

Ó   When we consume carbohydrates, proteins and fats – appetite hormones are used to regulate our intake and keep us in balance.

Ó   When we consume fructose, no appetite hormones are switched on and as a result we can consume way too much of it. The general consensus is, this goes back to our cave men relatives who rarely came across a berry bush ..but when they did they ate the entire bush because who knows how many  months would pass before they saw one again!

Ó   Nearly all fructose metabolization unlike glucose, takes place in the liver. It is then stored as glycogen for future energy needs. The problem is often our stores are at capacity..so then what? Answer: the fructose is converted to triglycerides…which are taken up in our blood stream then stored as FAT!

And there it is..why fructose gets the bad wrap. Remember as mentioned earlier, (due to its low production cost and high sweetness), we are now consuming, often unknowingly, too much fructose and all of its derivatives in our diet. Unfortunately… and a lot of it is ending up in a place where we don’t particularly want it…our fat stores. So next blog I will give you an idea of all the places fructose is hiding.

If you have had enough of this sugar talk tell  me to shut up  let me know and we will chat about something else!!

Be Healthy & Happy !

Caroline

A methodical trial and error procedure..remember from last week that was the definition of an experiment? Well thank God for trial and error, as error  did come into play over the past seven days! Remember, I don’t see food choices we make from day to day, as an error, or failure or stuff ups, rather each choice is the choice you made at the time (for all sorts of reasons).  If the choice you make is not the healthiest choice, so be it, don’t dwell or beat your self up, learn from it, it is just feedback and move on.

I successfully in all but two episodes removed sugar from my diet. No chocolate, no fruit flavoured yoghurt’s, dates scones, etc etc etc!  The two times when sugar snuck in were interestingly both when I was out for dinner. The first occasion was a school mums’ dinner where we paid a set price for two courses and a glass of wine…you know the drill. When it came to ordering I ordered my main – delicious linguine with prawns, garlic, chili, rocket and olive oil – then without thinking sorbet for dessert. The sorbet came I was half way though my second scoop when the penny or I should say the brick dropped! No more sorbet! The next occasion again at a friends for dinner. It was a very cold night and  before dinner we all partook in a fabulous winestyle master class. Tasting wines from Burgundy and the Barolo region in Italy. Dinner was a delicious beef bourguignon followed by yummy crumble and again with little regard for my experiment I delved in. This time I did not give it a second thought and before I knew it.. all gone, as was the delicious King Island yoghurt that went with it! What is interesting about these two episodes is that normally I don’t even think about dessert. I am not a dessert person. I am one of those who when handed the menu go straight to the entrees and mains but never cast my eyes down to the desserts. I have girlfriends whose eyes head straight to the sweet section of the menu, make their choice then decided what entree or main would go best compliment the dessert they have chosen! 

As for the remainder of the week – a success. Breaskfast has been easy and I have found a wonderful new muesli called The Muesli made in Melbourne by the bodsquad. It is expensive compared to the other breakfast products out there, but it works out to be only  $1.60 per serve and it is of a very high quality and seriously, a small amount sustains you all morning. Otherwise I have been having lots of avocado on toast which I love. Lunch and dinner have been without any sugar dramas – except of course those mentioned.

So week two of my eight week experiment has now commenced. Some have asked about fruit – am I cutting it out, as yes it is all fructose? I am probably a two piece of fruit a day girl and one of my favourite breakfasts is banana on delicious multi grain sour dough toast with tahini drizzled over the top! However for the sake of this experiment I am cutting back. If I really crave a piece of fruit I will have one, but otherwise no. Then at the end of the 8 week period fruit shall be back on the menu… naturally.

I still have not explained to you the issues surrounding fructose…I will I promise.. but for now work beckons.

(the muesli ingredients!)

Be Healthy & Happy!

Caroline

In fact I think I am going to need more than momentum, I think I will need a mighty big push!!

Let me explain…some of my good friends are doing it….. some of my colleagues are doing it….some of my clients have decided to do it…and in fact many people I don’t even know are doing it to…..

I have been toying with the idea for a few months now. I have done lots of relevant reading, watched many lectures on the topic, followed a few blogs of those that have gone before me !!

What is “IT” you may ask??? “IT” is giving up sugar!! Now for those that know me Oh too well.. you might be saying right now.. but you don’t eat that much sugar..etc etc etc and I agree. I actually don’t have a lot of sugar in my diet but you would be surprised how much chocolate sneaks in and lots of fruit yogurt -all in the name of calcium of course. Despite what I do or don’t do, there are so many hidden sugars in our food that half the time we don’t even know we are consuming it.   If you remember some of my past posts, I wrote of the hidden sugars in our foods – specifically processed foods.

Yes you will find sugars (carbohydrates) in natural, whole foods but they are not doing the damage. It is fructose believe it or not that is the bad guy! I can hear your protests now .. ..but fructose is a natural sugar found in fabulous fruits…yes you are correct, it is a natural sugar and eaten naturally as a whole fruit is not the problem. However fructose through no fault of it own, does have a shady past. And I will tell you about that in detail in my next post.

But for now I have just competed Day One of an 8 week experiment. Sarah Wilson (a journalist and health commentator) in her blog “A Sweeter Life. On a Friday.” has posted much about giving up sugar and suggests an 8 week experiment, which appeals to me for the following reasons:-

• An experiment is a methodical trial and error procedure carried out with the goal of verifying, falsifying, or establishing the validity of a hypothesis. (Source:Wikipedia). The trial and error bit is what appeals to me!
• 8 weeks is not particulalry a long time .. in the scheme of things!
• Because I do what I do (professionally) I want to experience personally -all the highs and lows- of giving up sugar! So therefore when I discuss it with clients I discuss it confidently!

Anyone want to join me? You are more than welcome.

Be Healthy & Happy!

Caroline

The Easter Bunny has hopped for another year, hopefully not leaving a deluge of too many chocolate wrappers in his wake! School holidays are over and routine takes precedence once again! I think I can admit I like routine….most of the time.

Routine, on the one hand, permits you to get more things done, it orders your day, it makes you commit to work that little bit more, it provides your life with structure and purpose. Routine, on the flip side, can become a little tedious, sometimes boring and expected and often lacks spontaneity.

It is a matter of finding the right balance for you…

Balance is vitally important for our overall health and well being. Joshua Rosenthal, in his book Integrative Nutrition – Feed you hunger, health and happiness, explains that there are two types of food – primary and secondary.  Primary food is not what you think it would be!  He explains it much better than I, so enjoy the explanation…

“Primary food is more than what is on your plate. Healthy relationships, regular physical activity, a fulfilling career and a spiritual practice can fill your soul and satisfy your hunger for life. When primary food is balanced and satiating, your life feeds you, making what you eat secondary. But what is primary food?

Sometimes we are fed not by food but by the energy in our lives.  We take in thousands of experiences of life that can fulfill us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. We hunger for play, fun, touch, romance, intimacy, love, achievement, success, art, music, self-expression, leadership, excitement, adventure and spirituality. All of these elements are essential forms of nourishment. The extent to which we are able to incorporate them determines how enjoyable and worthwhile our lives feel.

Modern nutrition—carbs or proteins, fresh produce or fast food—is really just one source of nourishment, which I call secondary food. If we are not starving, other dimensions of the human experience are generally much more important to us than what we put in our mouths. Secondary foods don’t come close to giving us the joy, meaning and fulfillment primary food provides.

When we use secondary food as a way to alleviate or suppress our hunger for primary food, the body and mind suffer. Weight gain is just one of the consequences. Diet-related disorders such as heart disease, cancer, obesity,high blood pressure and diabetes are national epidemics, and one of the main reasons is because we are stuffing ourselves with secondary foods when we are really starving for primary food.”

Food for thought?? You and I have all the resources needed to bring about change and success. It is up to us, no one else can do it for you or or me. We cannot blame others or other events for what we do not achieve. Everyone of us has the potential to develop and grow.

The new all encompassing food pyramid…..

Be Healthy & Happy!

Caroline 

Happy Good Friday to one and all. I have just finished the yummiest hot cross bun with a touch of fresh ‘real’ butter and it was absolutely delicious…well worth the wait. Like my first awaited and anticipated mango for the season, I do not indulge in Hot Cross Buns before Good Friday!

I think I saw my fist one in the shops sometime around late February/early March…tempting but I did not  buy. Instead I wait patiently until Easter Thursday and then depending on where my shopping takes me I purchase a pack of six for Easter. So yesterday I went off to Victoria Market, did a wonderful shop buying lots of fruit and vegetables and salmon for tonight (ten friends are coming for dinner) and then found in the Deli section at one of the yummy bread stalls, my Hot Cross Buns for 2012!! They are perfect –  not too big or small with just the right amount of currants. They are not the chocolate kind, or the fruitless kind or God forbid (oops it ‘s Easter) I heard this week they are doing a mocha kind!! I am sorry that is taking it a bit too far … I am happy to admit I am a traditionalist when it come to my annual Hot Cross Bun fest!!

So for dinner tonight I will continue with another Easter tradition and serve fish for dinner. Would you like to know my menu?

For nibbles with pre dinner drinks –  Baked  warm ricotta with fresh herbs topped with tomato salsa – yum!

For main course – Tray Baked salmon with beans/cherry tomatoes/olives/anchovies – on a bed of mash. It is a Jamie Oliver recipe – easy and delicious.

Dessert- Home made lemon sorbet with Balsamic Strawberries fresh and light.

Coffee with of course chocolates – if any one can fit them in..all that food and lots of wine..no doubt!

MMMMM…It is now 12.41 pm, guest are arriving at 7pm and I have  house and kitchen to attend to……….

Happy Easter to you all

 Be Healthy & Happy!

Caroline x

Kraft Foods released this week their ‘Aussie Breakfast Report’ a paper researching the breakfast eating habits of Australians. The study found that despite 42 per cent of Australians acknowledging that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, more than half  are missing out on their morning meal at least once a week, and almost a third are skipping as many as three times per week.

The reports reveals a number of reasons why people sometimes skip breakfast:-

• 65% don’t feel like eating first thing in the morning
• 49% said being disorganised
• 40% are sleeping in
• 36% are short of time.

Breakfast is “breaking the fast” that your body has been in over night. You have not eaten for up to 8-12 hours,  your metabolism has slowed down,  and eating breakfast turns your metabolism back on. Food in the morning is the fuel your body needs to start the fire – to get your engines burning. Skipping breakfast leaves your body sluggish and though your  brain will be switched on, it won’t be to it’s full capacity. You know the TV ad for  Sultana Bran and students having the “fuzzies” in class? Well that is relevant to everyone – no matter what age!

Missing breakfast or any meal for that matter will not help your weight loss goals, despite what you may read. Your body is an unbelievably fined tuned machine – not to mention extremely smart. If you miss a meal, your body will question what is going on and slow down your metabolism to conserve energy until it is refuelled with your next meal. It is not worth missing any meal – particularly breakfast.

So if you are like those 65% who don’t feel like eating first thing in the morning – aim to eat something small -1/2 a banana, a couple  of mouthfuls of yoghurt first thing and then aim to eat something more substantial within two hours of waking.  At that time eat mindfully – eat what you truly feel like, eat slowly and only till you are 80% full. Then get on with your day, live life and have fun. 

Be Healthy & Happy!

Caroline

Over the past few weeks, I have learnt a little bit more about myself. (I know you have all been distraught wondering why you have not heard boo from me).  This self discovery has left me in a small state of shock!!!  Hello my name is Caroline Silk and I am addicted to my computer!! There I said it out loud (just like I was in a AA meeting)…let me explain. Our household has just gone through 14 days of no home phone and Internet connection of any sort. So no google, no email, no wi-fi, no word, no excel, no PowerPoint and no posting!

As our  trusty supplier (Optus) explained – we have no line, due to the cable getting intimate with a tree root in the street. They then went on to explain, via India,  they had done all they could  and it was now Telstra’s problem and Telstra would attend in the next 3 working days.  They did attend more than 3 days later,  and by that time the cable and the tree root were even more intimate and it required a bigger crew to separate them!!

Our house was in somewhat state of shock. The boys could not get online for their homework (funny how homework became so important) and all those times you turn to your computer/google for an answer were gone. Verify facts on line…not possible…look at a possible holiday destination …not possible…check out the latest nutrition research..not possible….check the  bank balance…basketball schedule..not possible…email the school…etc etc etc. OMG when you don’t have it because it does not work rather than choosing not to have it because you decide to give it up for Lent…….let me tell you  it was extremely frustrating!

But  then life became good again, the tree root decided it was no longer fond of the cable and they went their separate ways. This household welcomed cyberspace back into our life, with open arms...sadly. So I am back on line and it is about time I said something of relevance – nutritionally that is.

OK so let me tell you about …………..protein. Just a quick reminder to ensure you include protein with every meal and snack!! The combination of having complex carbohydrates (not the white cardboard kind), healthy fats and protein will  make you feel fuller for longer, and will keep your blood sugar levels more in balance (great for moving your adipose – fat – stores) than just having a carbohydrate alone. (Usually the healthy fats are in the protein source so you don’t need to go topping everything with Olive Oil!!) Note - I am not talking about a high protein diet. This type of diet is often touted in the media as a great weight loss solution. Research has proven that a high protein diet is no more effective in the long term than (IE 12 months later) that a high carb or low fat diet.

So when you reach for that apple grab a small handful of nuts or a tablespoon of yoghurt, when you want a Ryvita have it with hommus or avocado, when you are having pasta make sure there is a protein in the mix etc etc! . It is all about balance and eating mindfully (here I go again!) It is not a hard thing to do, you just have to remember to do it and you and your waistline shall reap the rewards.

Be Healthy & Happy!

Caroline.

So many people who intend on  starting a diet – decide to start on a Monday. They often spend the weekend prior having a wonderful indulgent splurge and eating all of their favourite foods just one more time!!

I can understand this way of thinking – I myself have been guilty of it in the past. But as I have said and so strongly believe DIETS DO NOT WORK!! If they did there would only be one diet, called of course The Diet That Really Works – and being overweight would no longer be a worldwide issue!

So many of the diets in the market place today are all based on restriction and deprivation – all of those things that you cannot have. And as we all know when we can’t have something we only want it more.

If you are eating only when you are hungry, eating what you really want by listening to your body, eating mindfully and stopping at 80% full there is no deprivation or restriction. You are not on a diet, you are just enjoying food the way you should be.

Remember some of the Activate Your Mind Positive beliefs -

• You are in charge of your mind and therefore your results.
• You have all the resources you need to bring about change and success.

SO I am one to keep my promises (when I remember them!) and as cited in my last post I will pass onto you some recent research regarding weight gain and sleep!!

Published in the reputable The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, the University of Uppsala (Sweden) found that found that a specific brain region which contributes to a person’s appetite is more active when the person is deprived of sleep.

Christian Benedict (one of the researchers) said, “After a night of total sleep loss, these males showed a high level of activation in an area of the brain that is involved in a desire to eat.

“Bearing in mind that insufficient sleep is a growing problem in modern society, our results may explain why poor sleep habits can affect people’s risk to gain weight in the long run.”

This is not a new area of research and several in depth studies have looked and the effect of lack of sleep and weight gain and proven a direct correlation.

 I am back!!!

Well rested??? ….Maybe!!!

Had Fun???…..Definitely!!

When we went beach-side in early January I made a pact with myself. I would pace myself – definition = I would not go out every night, instead I would  have a few fun nights at home avec la famille.  I would eat and drink sensibly and ensure that exercise remained a part of my day.

I remember a conversation with a friend upon arriving beach-side , and when I told her my new plan of action, pacing myself etc etc her sound words of advice were  ”You can replace sleep but you can not replace fun!” So naturally and without much convincing, I decided that was a better pact to have with myself!

Mmmmmmm so how did I go now that I have time to reflect?? Alas …

• I went out every night (most nights involved the whole family going out together so therefore we had the fun nights but they just happened to be out rather than at home!)
• Ate and drank sensibly  - mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm – that’s for me to know and you never to find out!
• Exercise everyday –  √ √ √