There has been a lot of research around gut health and its role in our overall health. It has been linked to mental health, our immunity, and many other chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes.

The gut contains trillions of microorganisms known as the gut microbiome. Did you know that you have more gut bacteria than the number of cells in your body?!

These gut bacteria play an important role in the digestion and absorption of nutrients, as well as regulating the immune system.

Research around gut health is still in its infancy stage. But we know enough that it is important to have a healthy gut! The key to a healthy gut is keeping your gut bacteria happy!

How can we keep our gut bacteria happy?

Hint: FIBRE!

How can we incorporate more fibre?

Check out these 4 simple steps!

Step 1: Consume 5 servings of vegetables

Step 2: Add 2 servings of fruit

Step 3: Include 3 servings of wholegrains

Step 4: Incorporate 3 servings of legumes, nuts and seeds

Nutrition, exercise, stress management, illness and medication can all have an impact on gut health.

These 4 steps would come under nutrition, involving foods that are high in fibre, which we know can promote a healthy gut.

Try this today!

The post 4 Quick Steps to Improve Gut Health! appeared first on Nutrition Track.

• Improve every aspect of metabolic health (improve glycemic control, lower cholesterol etc)
• Manage constipation
• Help with satiety, and maintaining healthy weight
• Food for gut bacteria

The post How to Hit Your Daily Fibre Intake appeared first on Nutrition Track.

But do they actually work?

Before we look at how we can actually increase metabolism, we need to look at the components that make up our metabolism.

There are 4 major components of our metabolism:

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) – Your basal metabolic rate is the biggest component and makes up about 60% of your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). It is the energy that your body uses while at rest to perform daily life sustaining functions such as breathing. Factors affecting BMR include age, gender, weight, body composition, genetics etc. Muscle mass seems to be the component that has the capacity to change BMR considerably. Muscles are metabolically active. This means that if the ratio of muscle loss to fat loss is higher, it can contribute to a drop in BMR (which is not what you want).

Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) – NEAT is the energy that you use for all activity that is not formal exercise (it is a pretty big component!). This includes standing, talking, walking, typing, fidgeting etc. NEAT can account for up to 20-30% of TDEE and is actually one of the most adaptive components of metabolism, either increasing or decreasing in response to an energy surplus or deficit.

Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (EAT) – The energy that you expend during formal exercise. This will depend on the activity, intensity and duration of the exercise. This component makes up about 10-15% of TDEE.

Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) – The energy needed to digest, absorb and process food. This will be different for different foods. The TEF for protein, carbohydrates and fats are 20-30%, 5-10% and 0-3% respectively. Foods that are higher in protein and fibre tend to have higher TEF. As a whole, TEF makes up about 10% of TDEE.

As you can see, if you want to boost your metabolism in ways that will actually bring about a considerable amount of change, then you need to work on gaining/preserving muscle mass, consume adequate protein (to maintain/gain muscle mass and increase TEF), move more and get enough sleep.

Research has shown that when it comes to fat loss, individuals who go on a higher protein diet with exercise, lose more overall fat mass and in some cases, gain muscle mass compared to those who go on a lower protein diet.

This is not surprising as muscle is more metabolically active and protein has the highest thermogenic effect – AKA BOOSTING metabolism.

Martens et al. looked at the effect of high protein vs high carbohydrate diets on energy expenditure in weight stable individuals. After 12 weeks, energy expenditure (AKA metabolism) decreased significantly in the high carb low protein diet group. This overall decrease was attributed to the decrease in basal metabolic rate (from a slight decrease in muscle mass) and the decrease in dietary induced thermogenesis (AKA thermic effect of food).

To sum it up, here are 4 ways to boost your metabolism:

1. Build and maintain muscle mass

The best way to achieve this is via strength training! If you are completely new to this, I highly suggest working with a qualified trainer to tailor the session to your needs, ensure each move is executed properly with good form and to help you make progress. Progressive overload is important as your muscles will adapt over time.

2. Consume adequate protein

Ensure that you are consuming a wide variety of protein. How much you need will depend on several factors including individual goals and preferences. In general, you can aim for between 1.4-1.6g of protein per kg of bodyweight.

Here are some great sources of protein:

3. Move often

Our desk bound jobs may mean that we are more sedentary throughout the day, even if we exercise regularly! Keep in mind that formal exercise is about 10-15% for most people (formal exercise is STILL IMPORTANT!). This is why I highly encourage keeping active outside of formal exercise. This will come under the NEAT component, which makes up about 20-30% of your total daily energy expenditure!

Set a reminder to get up every 35-45 mins for a quick stretch.

Here are some other ideas:

4. Get enough sleep

When it comes to fat loss and the metabolism, sleep is the most underrated tool! Why sleep?

One study found that in a calorie deficit, insufficient sleep led to a higher proportion of muscle loss vs fat loss. Knowing the importance of muscle mass, you definitely do not want to be losing muscle!

Insufficient sleep has also been associated with an overall increase in energy intake due to (but not limited to) the increase in the hunger hormone ghrelin and a decrease in leptin.

One study found that there was an overall increase in food reward, cravings, hunger and self-selected portion size with sleep curtailment. There was a 12.4% increase in total calories and portion size was significantly higher for rice and potato chips. Participants also selected snacks that were higher in fat. I like how this study used a modest reduction of sleep (33% from their habitual sleep hours) rather than setting a specific number of hours, which would reflect real world experiences.

In short, insufficient sleep can potentially affect muscle mass, appetite, portion sizes and food choice.

Also, when you don’t get enough sleep, your energy levels are affected. You may not have the energy to exercise or even think about nutrition!

And of course, in general, sleep is very much needed for our overall health and wellbeing. Make is a priority!

TLDR:

Forget about “metabolism boosting” products and focus on these 4 elements!

References:

1. Longland, T. M., Oikawa, S. Y., Mitchell, C. J., Devries, M. C., & Phillips, S. M. (2016). Higher compared with lower dietary protein during an energy deficit combined with intense exercise promotes greater lean mass gain and fat mass loss: a randomized trial. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 103(3), 738-746.
2. Martens, E. A., Gonnissen, H. K., Gatta-Cherifi, B., Janssens, P. L., & Westerterp-Plantenga, M. S. (2015). Maintenance of energy expenditure on high-protein vs. high-carbohydrate diets at a constant body weight may prevent a positive energys balance. Clinical Nutrition, 34(5), 968-975.
3. Nedeltcheva, A. V., Kilkus, J. M., Imperial, J., Schoeller, D. A., & Penev, P. D. (2010). Insufficient sleep undermines dietary efforts to reduce adiposity. Annals of internal medicine, 153(7), 435-441.
4. Yang, C. L., Schnepp, J., & Tucker, R. M. (2019). Increased hunger, food cravings, food reward, and portion size selection after sleep curtailment in women without obesity. Nutrients, 11(3), 663.

The post 4 Ways to Boost Your Metabolism appeared first on Nutrition Track.

GREAT!

I’m going to share the number 1 mistake most of my clients make so that you can start off on the right foot and achieve the results you desire!

The Mistake: Wanting Instant Results… LIKE NOW!

Source

I totally understand the need to want instant results, especially in this day and age where EVERYTHING is instant, quick and fast. Food can now be cooked and delivered straight to your doorstep! GASP!

But…

You didn’t gain 10- or 20kg overnight. So uh, don’t expect to lose it overnight.

There are 2 main problems with wanting things FAST:

1. Resorting to extreme ALL-OR-NOTHING crash diet methods

Source

“NO SUGAR! NO CARBS! NO JUNK FOOD! NO FAT! FOREVER!!!!”

Sound familiar?

Most people think that they need to CUT out all these “bad” foods to see results. Not only is this not sustainable, it can be detrimental to our mental (and physical) health. Research has shown that being overly restrictive can lead to increased cravings, overeating, and sometimes, a trigger for binge eating [1].

The extreme dieting cycle usually looks something like this:

When you keep cycling through this process, you might end up gaining MORE weight as extreme methods tend to lead to a decrease in overall energy expenditure. So, when you get frustrated and decide to GIVE UP, GO ALL OUT AND EAT ALL THE FOOD, you find that you gain weight easier.

The OVERALL END result?

Source

Weight gain!

This is usually the breaking point for my clients. When they come to me for the first time, they’ve usually tried every single method out there with either zero results or have lost the weight and gained it all back when their diet ended (because they had no idea how to maintain the weight loss).

Going to extremes is NOT the solution.

2. Frustration

Sustainable fat loss is a LONG (and sometimes painfully slow) process. You NEED to ACCEPT this.

The going WILL get tough and you WILL be tempted to give up. Not wanting FAST results and knowing what it will take to achieve sustainable fat loss will help you to enjoy the process a little more. This also means that you are LESS likely to give up! #win

The SOLUTION

There are many tools and solutions when it comes to sustainable fat loss.

I like to work on changing habits and behaviours.

Why?

Because habits and behaviours are what you’re doing EVERY SINGLE DAY! Source

There is a BIG difference between knowing what to do and ACTUALLY doing it. Research has shown that having knowledge of healthy behaviours do NOT strongly predict the actual behaviour. We all KNOW (or at least kinda know) what we need to do for our health and fat loss. But… we’re just not doing it! This is known as the intention-behaviour gap [2].

We need to take SPECIFIC ACTION

Source

One of the ways to bridge this gap is to put in place specific actions. In research, this is known as implementation intentions (taking specific action) [2].

For example, the intention may be “I want to eat healthier!”… but how? when? where?

An implementation intention strategy to “eat healthier” could be “I will start by bringing a piece of fruit to work for my 3pm snack” or “I will eat 1 extra serve of vegetables at dinner at least 3 times a week.”

This strategy has been shown to be promising in helping people make healthier choices! It increases automaticity by linking the desired behaviour to critical cues. Therefore, you are less likely to rely on willpower.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Take a good look at your current diet

2. Decide where you need/want to change

3. Practice ONE SPECIFIC habit (JUST ONE!) that will help with point 2

4. Keep practising until it becomes second nature

5. REPEAT process with a NEW habit

I’ll end this post with one of my client’s amazing transformation and what she did to get there!

First of all, this is NOT a 30 day transformation. This is 5 months in the making!

I quote:

“2019 has really brought me to a new place health and energy wise.

It really came down to this: how much I wanted to change and what I was prepared to learn and take up along the way. Nobody could decide that for me, and nobody can decide that for you. I chose the tagline ‘trust in the process’ because change is a process and sometimes it can get scary and discouraging when nothing seems to be moving. That’s the time when we most need to trust in what we’re doing, and that we will get there in the end. We’re not a product, we are in the process of getting better and stronger. Like the PhD, I’m under no illusions this will be easy, only that I believe the journey is worth it.

Plus don’t be afraid to reach out to those who have the expertise to guide you on the steps towards real change. I’ve benefited much from the things @nutritiontrack taught me.”

Petrina KNEW that it was going to be a long and tough journey but she was mentally prepared! She went in with the right MINDSET!

And from there, she worked on her HABITS.

“My food stash in Jan 2019 (re a pic of her food stash).

Since then, I gave away the sweets, ginger tea, chocs and instant porridge. Slowly finished up the cereal and 3 in 1 coffee and milo. Nowadays, I either drink cocoa without sugar or very occasionally, order a hot milo kosong from the canteen when I crave chocolate. My morning beverage remains coffee but I’ve switched to skim milk from full cream, and I have it without sugar.

Snacks are now mainly fruit, cherry tomatoes, almonds, walnuts and meiji oat crackers.

A reminder to self that HABITS can change!“

2 key things about Petrina:

1. She DECIDED she needed to change and ACCEPTED the fact that it WILL TAKE TIME

2. She used the First Step Course to start taking specific ACTION

She showed up and put in the WORK!

The great thing is that THIS COULD BE YOU TOO!

If you are ready to start prioritising your health by changing your current habits and behaviours around food, then check out my First Step Course!

The post The Biggest Fat Loss Mistake and The Solution appeared first on Nutrition Track.

The holiday season is a time where we are surrounded by family, friends and LOADS OF FOOD!

I personally believe that we should relax and enjoy ourselves…

SENSIBLY!

While ONE meal is not going to do much damage, MANY meals could!

So, here are 6 tips for how to handle ALL your parties and social events!

1. Load up on the veggies and protein – These two foods are satieting and will fill you up easily. This means that you’re likely to consume less overall.

2. Stop when you’re 80% full – You do not have to indulge till you feel sick! This may affect your overall health goal AND ruin the entire experience.

3. Eat SLOWLY – CHEW and SAVOUR your food! Pause and put your utensils down in between bites. This will help you to be more mindful of how you’re feeling. Enjoy good conversations with those around you!

4. Forgo foods you don’t care much for – Survey what’s available and only eat the foods that you REALLY want! Using me as an example, I’d forgo the bread/potatoes as I do not care too much for them. Find what would work for YOU!

5. Be picky about treats – As with point 4, do the same for desserts! Instead of eating ALL the desserts, pick one and enjoy it!

6. Cut down liquid calories – Drinks are SO EASY to over consume and can easily put you over your calorie limit! My advice would be to stick to WATER or diet drinks!

NOW you’re ready!

With the right strategy and action plan, you CAN have your CAKE and EAT it too!

Have fun!

The post 6 Ways to Navigate Through the Holiday Season appeared first on Nutrition Track.

Food claims and food labels are useful as they provide information to help us make informed choices.

However, one of the issues with this is that people tend to think that they can eat more of a product that is perceived as “healthier”. For example, one may opt for organic chips thinking that it is healthier and therefore they can eat more of it.

At the end of the day, FOCUS on what the food actually is.

To illustrate this, look at the 2 foods below. The banana is natural and the cookie is made with natural ingredients. However, one is a fruit and one is a cookie. If we are talking about health, which will you choose?

Disclaimer: I’m not saying that cookies are bad or that they are not good for you. ALL foods can be part of a healthy diet. But I hope you get the point!

In short, whichever product or food you choose to eat, consuming it in MODERATION still applies!

Therefore, regardless of the claim, you should not over consume any food.

I hope this was helpful! Let me know if you have any questions!

The post Navigating Food Labels appeared first on Nutrition Track.