Easy Salad Dressings - Part 2

This is the second part of my blog posts on simple, yet affordable, salad dressings.

Note: These recipes were not created by me, but are adapted from Jamie’s Ministry of Food

Lemon Dressing

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Lemon
• Seas salt and black pepper

To create the dressing, we put the oil and the salt and pepper into a jar. We then squeeze in the lemon juice (all of it!) and mix together well. Easy!

Balsamic Dressing

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
• Sea salt and black pepper

All we need to do is put all the ingredients into a jar and mix well. Simple, tasty and cheap. 

Each of the salad dressings in the two blog posts are simple and taste great. They are also far more affordable than what you buy in the shops.

Leave your comments and let me know what you think of each of the dressings!

Trans Fat and Why It Should Be Avoided

What is Trans Fat?

Small amounts of trans fats are found naturally in certain foods, such as beef and lamb. However, most trans fats are processed. They are created by adding hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils in order to solidify them. They are also, often, referred to as partially hydrogenated fats. These are, generally, considered to be the worst form of fats for our health.

What is trans fat found in?

Trans fat is found in a variety of food that we consume. Some common sources of trans fat include; margarine, crisps (or chips for Americans) and bakery products. Food labels often show ‘partially hydrogenated’ and this is a synthesised trans fat.

Why We Should Avoid Trans Fats

It appears that there are a number of reasons as to why we should look to avoid trans fats:

• They can raise the levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol levels while lowering the good cholesterol levels.
• It is also suggested that consuming trans fats increases the risk of us developing heart disease and stroke.
• There also appears to be a link between the consumption of trans fat and the development of type 2 diabetes
• There is some evidence that shows that trans fats contribute more to cardio-vascular disease than other fats.

So, it is important to be aware of what we are eating and aim to keep our consumption of trans fats to a minimum due to the potential health risks associated with them.

Why Diet and Nutrition is so important - Part 2

Why Diet and Nutrition is so important

This is the second part of the blog entry examining why diet and nutrition is so important to us, and why we must be aware of what we are consuming. This entry will look at water, vitamins and minerals in particular. 

Water

Water is crucial to our body functioning correctly. When we are even slightly dehydrated our body is not working as it should be. Water carries oxygen and nutrients around the body, allowing the body to function. It also clears out waste and dissipates body heat. It is important to note that we should not wait until we feel thirsty to drink water, as by then we are already slightly dehydrated.

Vitamins

We should aim to get our vitamins from food, not pills. This is something that a lot of research appears to agree on. Vitamins are vital for the body to function correctly, as they ensure that a lot of complicated actions happen. Vitamins help to allow the body to make energy from other nutrients, help the bones and muscles to grow, help with our cells and many other functions that we need just to live!

Minerals

As with vitamins it is important that we get our minerals from food rather than a tablet. We do not actually need large amounts of minerals but they are still vital for our body. Bone structure, heartbeat and cell activity are all impacted by our mineral intake.

Another thought

An important point to remember is that our diet plan will vary on what our goals are. For example, if we want to bulk up then it is important to increase the number of calories we consume during the day, focussing on increases in protein and carbohydrates.

The Importance of Vitamin D

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is fat soluble vitamin that we need. There are five types of vitamin D that have been identified and vitamins D2 and D3 appear to be the most important to us as humans. Most people do not need to take vitamin D supplements as long as they have a reasonable amount of exposure to the sun. As the vitamin can be synthesised by the human body, it is often argued that it should not be considered a vitamin.

The Health Benefits

Vitamin D is an essential vitamin for the human body and there are many health benefits associated with it.

A major reason as to why we need vitamin D is due to the fact that without sufficient levels we are unable to process calcium properly. This is important for healthy bones.

There are reports that suggest that the threat of colon cancer can be reduced with the right amount of vitamin D being taken in. Reports show that vitamin D can help protect against other cancers too, such as prostate and breast cancers.

There are a number of other reasons as to why vitamin D is so important to us. Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, glucose intolerance and multiple sclerosis are all conditions that have been found to be helped through having healthy levels of vitamin D in our body.

The Risk of Too Much Vitamin D

As with most things in life, moderation is the key. There is the risk that we can have too much vitamin D and this can cause various problems. The feeling of nausea, vomiting, weight loss and a weak feeling are all potential signs of too much vitamin D and there are more serious symptoms too. Kidney stones, mental confusion and an irregular heartbeat are all serious signs of too much vitamin D.

A Natural Source

There are a number of sources of vitamin D, but there is one natural source that can be utilised easily for us all to get free vitamin D. The Sun provides us with vitamin D so it is important that we get ourselves out there in the sunlight.

Other Sources of Vitamin D

When not getting our vitamin D from the sun, the best way to get it is from the diet. In reality should only really use vitamin D supplements if our doctor, or another medical professional, advises us to do so. Foods such as milk and yoghurt are good sources of vitamin D.

Protein

Protein

I have previously posted blog entries regarding carbohydrates, fats and dietary fibres. This entry looks to discuss protein.

What is Protein?

Proteins, as a nutrient, are chains of Amino acids that contain around 4 calories per gram. Amino acids can be divided into either essential amino acids or non-essential amino acids.

In nutrition, protein is broken down in the stomach in order to provide amino acids to the body, including essential amino acids that cannot be created by the body itself. Our body does not store protein so it is important that we eat it on a daily basis for a number of reasons.

Protein is needed by us humans in order to grow and maintain our condition. Experts advise consuming between 0.8 grams and 1.1 grams of protein per pound of your body weight, per day.

Benefits of Protein for Weight Loss

Protein is an essential thing for the body in general, but it can also be extremely important to people wanting to lose weight or fat.

An important factor of protein is that it takes longer to digest and leave your stomach. This leaves us feeling fuller for longer, and this means that we are less likely to unnecessarily snack between meals, therefore we eat fewer calories. 

Protein also burns more calories through digestion, and general use, and so this can aid in any weight loss we are attempting.

It is important to note here that this blog IS NOT promoting an Atkins/high protein diet, or anything similar. I do not agree with these types of diets and am merely showing how through eating the right way protein can help lose weight.

Benefits of Protein for Muscle Growth

When weight training, our bodies need protein to develop and maintain muscle. Protein is used to repair the tiny tears that are made when we exercise. The protein also helps to increase the muscle mass. Because amino acids can be burned by the body during exercise it is essential that we refuel our muscles with protein, as well as carbohydrates.

Research appears to suggest that it is important to have protein shortly before and shortly after weight/resistance training to fuel our muscles and allow them to repair and grow.

Other Benefits of Protein

Protein, as well as the benefits previously mentioned, has a number of other benefits too. These include, but are not limited to;

• Repairing injured/torn tissue
• Protein also helps build skin, hair, nails and cartilage
• Prevention of various conditions such as anaemia and hypotension
• Helps with circulation
• Heals injuries

Be careful with Protein

As with all food intakes there are things to be careful of. There is, of course, a risk of eating too much protein. This can lead to excess calories, and potential weight gain. Also, if we eat too much protein and not enough carbohydrates the body can form ketones and release them into the blood.

Conclusions

Protein is something that we need to intake everyday. It is so important for our everyday health, but can also help us with weight loss and muscle building. As with all food, it is important that we do not over eat it though.

Fat Is Not The Enemy

Today this blog looks to discuss fat(s). The idea of a low fat/no fat diet is often branded around for weight loss. The truth is that fat DOES NOT make us fat. The simple science is that is we eat more calories than we burn off they get stored by our body as fat. So it is (excess) calories that make us fat. If we eat too much, we put on weight/fat. It is also true that we need fat in our diet; most fat is good for us. However, it is true that gram for gram, fat contains more calories (9) than carbohydrates and protein (around 4). It is; therefore, fine to include fats within our daily calorie allowance.

There are four different types of fat out there; Trans fats, saturated fats, mono-unsaturated fats and poly-unsaturated fats.

Trans Fats

Ok, these are fats that we should definitely try to avoid as much as possible. These are man made fats. According to the National Academy of Sciences suggests that trans fats contain no known benefit to humans with regards to health. It is also suggested that trans fats lower the amount of good cholesterol in our bodies, which increases the risk of coronary heart disease. There are other suggestions as to the adverse affects of trans fats. There is a suggestion that the risk of type 2 diabetes increases with trans fat consumption. There is also investigation into theories suggesting that risk of cancer may be increased with eating trans fats. A study published in Archives of Neurology looks into the theory that the consumption of trans, and saturated, fats promote the development of Alzheimer disease.

Saturated Fats

Saturated fats are animal fats, and really do have a fairly bad press. Saturated fats are nowhere near as bad for us as trans fats, or as bad as they are sometimes made out to be. Saturated fats have been linked with diseases, such as cardio-vascular disease, for example. In reality, in moderation, and eaten with good fats, saturated fat is not a huge problem to our health.

Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated

These are the best fats that are good for our bodies. Foods containing monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, which is great for us. It is also possible that these fats help to increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. However, this is still in debate.

Ultimately it is all about moderation. Fats are certainly not our enemy, so looking at the fat content of food is not what we should be doing. We should, however, be aiming to cut out trans fats as much as possible, and we should be more focussed on the calorie intake of our food. Fats are an important part of our diet, but should not make up more than 30% of it.

The importance of a treat

 Treats (listened to a great playlist while writing this, find it here)

When focussing on a fitness regime and diet plan it is very easy to get yourself in a mode where you feel you must resist all ‘bad’ foods. This blog post, however, will encourage the occasional treat and explain why it is (or at least can be) quite importan to weight management. 

It is important to understand that a ‘cheat day’ is not being promoted here. A bingeing session can easily undo all the good work that has gone on before. The point of this blog is to encourage the occasional treat in order to keep our fitness aims on track.

First of all there is a simple psychological issue to deal with. The less we are allowed something, the more we want it. If we have it in our mind that we are not allowed to eat cake, we will want it even more. Having a treat now and again will help to stop this craving happening and therefore we can stick to our regime far easier, without so much temptation!

Another problem is just how easy it can be to punish ourselves is we do ‘slip up’. This can lead to things like comfort eating (a big problem that I know all too well) and overtraining (which I have discussed here). It is important to remember that if we do ‘slip up’ we can always rectify it. We can easily change the diet plan to fit in treats and we can always put in some extra exercise sessions. 

It is also possible that, through depriving ourselves completely, when we reach our fitness or weight loss goals, we simply go off our diet plan and then all the hard work is ruined.

To conclude then, as long as we still get the right energy and nutrients from our diet through fruits, vegetables, wholegrain, protein and the right fats there is still a place for a treat. It is important, however, to know that they are a treat and should not replace meals. Be aware of the extra calories and alter the diet to incorporate them. Small treats every once in a while will help us to control ourselves but depriving ourselves of all sweets will more likely lead to binge and over eating.

Dietary Fibre

Recently I wrote a blog discussing carbohydrates, and this post will address dietary fibre. Fibre has a major role with the body but often people lack knowledge of what it actually does.

The main function of fibre is to keep the digestive system healthy. Essentially, fibre speeds up the excretion of waste product and toxins from our body in order to prevent diseases building up. If there is not enough fibre present in our diet can cause irregularities in the bowel as well as discomforts with the stomach. Around 18g of fibre is an acceptable amount each day, however up to 35g is recommended. We must ensure that higher levels of fibre consumed is matched with higher consumption of water, as fibre absorbs water from our body.

Dietary Fibre and Weight Loss

There are a number of benefits to eating fibre when look at weight control. Firstly, foods that are high in fibre are generally low in fat and calories, and therefore we are less likely to put on weight. However, there are two key points that make eating fibre essential for weight control. Fibre slows down digestion, which leaves us feeling full for longer, so we remain satisfied for longer after a meal meaning we are less likely to eat extra calories that we do not need. Fibre also helps us to fill up quicker, so we are less likely to over eat and gain weight and fat.

Not All Good

Of course, while too little fibre is bad for us, too much fibre can be just as bad. Too much fibre can lead to problems such as dehydration or internal discomfort. A major potential problem of consuming too much fibre is that it can lead to the body not absorbing fewer minerals, especially zinc, iron, magnesium and calcium.

So, it is important that we get enough fibre in our bodies everyday but we do need to be aware of how much and ensure we do not go too far. There are many foods that we probably should be eating anyway that will help us meet our fibre requirements, things such as vegetables, wholemeal foods and whole grains.

Carbohydrates

There is a lot of confusion with regards to healthy eating. Carbohydrates is a major discussion point with some quarters stating that carbohydrates should be cut down (or even out) and some people suggesting that carbohydrates are the best thing for you. The truth is that carbs are not all bad, and are not all good. Simple?

What are Carbohydrates?

So what are carbohydrates? Carbohydrates, also known as saccharides, can be split into two separate groups; simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are, essentially, sugars and can exist in natural or refined forms. Complex carbs are referred to as starch and also be found in natural or refined forms. The main function of carbohydrates is to provide energy to the body.

Simple Carbohydrates

As mentioned before, simple carbs can be natural or refined. Common examples are lactose and sucrose. Sources of natural sugars are fruits and vegetables. Refined sugars are found in things like cakes, chocolate, honey, soft drinks and sweets.

Complex Carbohydrates

As with simple carbs, complex carbohydrates can be natural or refined. We can get our natural complex carbs from foods such as bananas, beans, potatoes, nuts, whole grains and root vegetables.

So should we eat carbohydrates or not?

We should absolutely have carbohydrates in our diet. Carbs are a fantastic source of energy for the body. Low carb diets exist, and have had major publicity, but the truth is that eating too much is why people put on weight, regardless of where we get our energy from. In fact, there are fewer calories in 1g of carbohydrate than in protein or fat. The key to carbohydrates is, essentially, choosing the right type of carbohydrate to consume. We should focus at getting our carbohydrates from vegetables, wholemeal foods, and other complex carbohydrates. Most reliable sources will suggest that around 60% of our energy should come from carbohydrates.

Benefits of Weight Training for Fitness and Health

When thinking of our general health and well being weight training is something that should definitely be considered. In this post I will discuss some of the many benefits of building muscle.

Firstly, although cardiovascular exercise is a fantastic method for us to burn fat, building muscle will help us burn extra calories each day. Some sources claim that an additional pound of muscle gained can lead to our body burning an extra 50 calories each day. The good thing about this is that we're burning muscle while we are resting.

An obvious, but important, benefit to weight training is the increased strength we can achieve. For many this is why we begin weight training.

Another great benefit of weight training is that the risk of injury can be reduced. The stronger the muscles we have, the more stress and impact our body can take and we should see increased muscle flexibility, which can help keep us from pulling muscles.

Our physical appearance can improve through weight training. Aside from the fact that muscle building can help us to lose fat, we can also can lean muscle and get a more defined look about us, a look that many people want.

The final benefit that I will mention in this post is the fact that weight training can help our body to function better. Through stronger muscles we can get more support to our joints and will also see an improvement in our posture.

These are just some of the benefits of weight/muscle training, there are others too. Hope these inspire!

Four Key Rules for a Great Workout

This blog entry will discuss four key ideas that will make for a great workout. These are simple tips that will ensure that we make the most of our workout.

1. The first rule is to make sure you breathe. I know this seems fairly obvious, but I have seen it many times before where people are holding their breath while doing reps. It is easy to forget. A simple way to remember is to ensure that on the harder part of the exercise, the pulling up of a pull up for example, we breathe out and on the easier part we breathe in. The main thing is to make sure that you are breathing!

2. Your aim is to fail! This may seem silly. Ok, this is not exactly what the goal is. The idea of this rule is to push ourselves to the limit of our strength. Always be safe, however, we don’t want injuries.

3. Take things slow (or fast). With cardio exercise we should perform as fast as we can! However, with other exercises it is often best to perform slowly. Performing exercises at a slower rate will help to work the muscle more and therefore we can get stronger.

4. Finally, one of the most important things with exercise – FORM. Good form is arguably the most essential thing with getting the most from a workout. Through correct form we reduce the risk of injury and gain more from specific exercises. We will see the best results from performing exercises correctly.

Hope these tips help!

Inspirational Fitness Quotes

Today I though I would share some quotes about health, fitness and exercise that I enjoy and that may help to inspire you in some way!

“Be careful about reading health books.  You may die of a misprint.”  - Mark Twain

“In general, mankind, since the improvement in cookery, eats twice as much as nature requires.” - Benjamin Franklin

“There’s lots of people in this world who spend so much time watching their health that they haven’t the time to enjoy it. ” - Josh Billings

"If it weren't for the fact that the TV set and the refrigerator are so far apart, some of us wouldn't get any exercise at all." - Joey Adams

"You must begin to think of yourself as becoming the person you want to be." - David Viscott

 "The higher your energy level, the more efficient your body. The more efficient your body, the better you feel and the more you will use your talent to produce outstanding results." – Anthony Robbins

"Today I do what others won't, so tomorrow I do what others can't"  -  Jerry Rice

"No matter how slow you go, you are still lapping everybody on the couch" - Unknown

Hope these inspire you, let me know what you think!

Diet Myths – Part 2

I posted about diet myths recently and I would like to follow that up with some more common myths that should be ignored!

The first myth that I will discuss today is that of avoiding dairy products. The rumour that is put about is that dairy products, such as cheese and milk, are fattening and unhealthy. To avoid dairy products would be a silly thing to do. They are a good source of protein, zinc and some B vitamins and they are PACKED with calcium, which is essential for healthy bones.

Now a fairly controversial one (or maybe not). Frozen and canned vegetables are often considered to contain less ‘good stuff’, such as vitamins, than fresh produce. This is a controversial one because it CAN be true, but it isn’t always. Often, by freezing, you can keep more vitamins and minerals than if fruits and vegetables have travelled a long distance. Usually, you will be just as well off by eating frozen vegetables as if you were eating fresh. (A bigger problem may be what is used to produce the vegetables that may affect what nutrition vegetables can provide, but that’s another issue).