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.

Are results linear?

When it comes to fat loss or any other health goal, it might seem logical that if you are doing everything right, that you should see a linear trend.

Unfortunately, that is not the case.

Some days the scale might go up and some days it might go down. Salt intake, water intake, stress, menstrual cycle, time of day, bowel contents etc can all cause shifts in bodyweight. This is usually a reflection of changes in body water and not body fat.

Side note: this is why if you want to track weight, you need to weigh daily and take the weekly average. This will give you a better picture of what is going on.

Our body is a rather complex system. You are not living in a vacuum.

Some weeks, everything might go smoothly. And some weeks, you might have more stress and other commitments. It is important that you monitor overall trends and not react based on a single day’s reading or measurement.

Are you being too hyper focused on the number on the scale?

While scale weight is an easy and objective measure for measuring dieting success, it is NOT the only measure. I have had clients who managed to improve their body composition and drop several sizes without any changes in weight.

I’ve also had clients who have achieved all of the above but are frustrated that the number didn’t go down. If you are progressing, does the number actually matter? Please do not use the number on the scale as a measure of self-worth. It tells you nothing other than the force of gravity that is acting on you. Change your perception of scale weight and don’t let it dictate or undermine your amazing progress!

There is more to life than just seeing results and looking at the scale.

Look out for these:

• Are you gaining strength?
• Do you feel better and more confident?
• Are your clothes fitting better?
• Do you have more energy?
• Are you moving better?
• Are you getting better sleep?

These are ALL signs of progress! In fact, I personally feel that these matter even MORE.

Shift your focus and mindset. FOCUS on building healthy habits! Keep going!

If you are feeling lost and need help, reach out to us!

The post Fat Loss Progress: What to expect? appeared first on Nutrition Track.

The good news is – Unlikely!

We tend to assume that our metabolism slows down as we age (especially when we hit 30s and 40s) and that this is the main cause of weight gain.

Fun fact: Your metabolism actually stays relatively stable from 20-60 years old! Research suggests that any change is potentially due to a decrease in physical activity and a loss of muscle mass, which comes down to lifestyle change.

Some examples of lifestyle change:

• Uni/work
• Moving out of home
• Migration
• Partner/marriage: your partner can influence your eating behaviours
• More social events: eating and drinking
• Stress

Some examples of changes in physical activity:

• Less movement in general
• Less time for physical activity
• Not engaging in strength training
• More sedentary

All of these factors can gradually lead to weight gain over time.

What can you do?

Here are some ideas of how you can stay active as you age and keep your metabolism firing! The other components that I talked about in “4 Ways to Boost Metabolism?” are important too!

Start working on these components today!

Reference:

1. Pontzer, H., Yamada, Y., Sagayama, H., Ainslie, P. N., Andersen, L. F., Anderson, L. J., … & IAEA DLW Database Consortium §. (2021). Daily energy expenditure through the human life course. Science, 373(6556), 808-812.

The post Why do I have a slow metabolism? appeared first on Nutrition Track.

However, the concern with eggs is the cholesterol and many avoid them for this reason.

The question is, do cholesterol containing foods like eggs influence blood cholesterol levels? How many is too many?

Let’s find out!

Atherosclerosis is the build up of plaque inside arteries. Plaque is made up of cholesterol, fat, and other substances found in the blood. Atherosclerosis can lead to serious health problems – stroke, heart attack and even death. There is a strong link between LDL (AKA the “bad cholesterol”) and atherosclerosis. Pro-atherogenic particles include VLDL, IDL and LDL.

The post Do Eggs Increase Cholesterol Levels? appeared first on Nutrition Track.

1. Lee, T. H., Wu, Y. Y., Chan, J. K., Ho, M. H. K., Li, P. H., & Sou Da Rosa Duque, J. (2017). Immunoglobulin G testing in the diagnosis of food allergy and intolerance.Hong Kong Medical Journal.
2. Stapel, S. O., Asero, R., Ballmer‐Weber, B. K., Knol, E. F., Strobel, S., Vieths, S., & Kleine‐Tebbe, J. (2008). Testing for IgG4 against foods is not recommended as a diagnostic tool: EAACI Task Force Report.Allergy,63(7), 793-796.

The post Food Intolerance Test: Yes or No? 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.

Salt is an inorganic compound that is made up of 60% chloride and 40% sodium, which comes together to form those beautiful white crystals that you usually see in your salt shaker. It is commonly used as a preservative in food and to enhance flavour. Both chloride and sodium are important for our body to function normally. [1]

The focus of this article will be sodium. 

What is all the fuss about sodium and why do we need it?

Sodium is a mineral that is pivotal in maintaining regular muscle and nerve function, and also helps keep our body fluids in a normal balance. Without sodium, we would not be able to even move our muscles and our heart would not be able to pump blood throughout the body. [2,7]

Now coming back to our original question. How much salt is too much?

WHO has advised adults to consume not more than 1 teaspoon of salt per day, which is around 5 grams of salt or 2000 mg of sodium. According to the Recommended Nutrient Intakes for Malaysia 2017, Malaysian adults only require 1500mg of sodium each day. The WHO recommendation was based on evidence that states that consuming less than 2g of sodium a day would reduce blood pressure and thus also reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases, stroke and heart attacks in adults. [4,9]

It is important to note that these recommendations also apply to healthy individuals. Studies have shown that excessive consumption of sodium (>5 grams per day) increased blood pressure, and has been linked to hypertension and many cardiovascular complications. Another study showed that a small reduction in salt intake for four or more weeks caused a significant fall in blood pressure for both healthy individuals and people with hypertension irrespective of age and gender.

Coming back to the Malaysian context, 1 in 3 Malaysians are hypertensive and studies show that most of us consume more than 1 teaspoon of salt a day! A study conducted amongst staff members from the Ministry of Health, Malaysia found that the average consumption of salt was 7.15 grams a day whereas it was even higher among young adults in Malaysian universities whereby they consumed an alarming 10.8 grams of salt per day!  Hence, even if you’re currently healthy with normal blood pressure, you ought to pay attention to your salt intake! [5,6]

Hidden Salts

Now let’s say that you cook most of your meals at home and you do not consume more than 1 teaspoon of salt from all the meals that you’ve prepared, you are still not out of the woods yet.

There is still a big food group that is the processed foods which we have to be weary about. The most effective method to reduce salt intake is to reduce the consumption of processed food.  A whooping 71% percent of our salt intake comes from processed food and food purchased outside while only 6% of our daily salt intake comes from the salt we add to cooking, with a further 5% from salt added after the food is served. [3]

What are the types of food that are packed with salt?

Processed food groups such as gravy and sauce contain the highest amount of salt that is 3.97g/100g followed closely by canned soup (2.95g/100g). Other types of high salt containing foods are processed meat, savoury snacks, instant noodles, salted biscuits and preserved food such as pickles, anchovies and dried prawns. [3]

Tips to reduce salt intake [3,6,9]

With all of that in mind, what can you actually do to lower your salt intake?

1. Use spices and fresh herbs to enhance the flavour of your food to replace salt.
2. Try to limit the usage of soy sauce, ketchup and gravies in your cooking.
3. Read and compare food labels to find foods with lower sodium content. Do note that there are other names for salt on  food labels such as sodium chloride, sodium nitrate, monosodium glutamate (MSG), sodium benzoate, baking soda, disodium phosphate, sodium propionate and others.
4. Bring home cooked meals to work (you would have more control over your salt intake).
5. Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables as snacks instead of processed food.

Do athletes need more salt? [10, 11, 12]

Do athletes or people who work out regularly actually need to take extra salt in their diet?

The answer is no, not necessarily.

On average, we consume sufficient sodium in our diet. However, it also depends on the individual. Individuals who have a high sweat rate (sweat a lot) and have a high sweat sodium concentration (sweat that contains a lot of salt) may be required to modify their refuelling strategies by consuming drinks that contain electrolytes and water at regular intervals.  

Will using other types of salt make a difference? [8]

I can imagine that some of you have already been thinking about this.

Using Himalayan salt is healthier, right?

Well, the answer is no, not exactly. There are many different types of salt in the market other than the conventional table salt such as Kosher salt, sea salt, Himalayan pink salt, Hawaiian salt, bamboo salt and others. All of these actually contain similar amounts of sodium, so it does not make much difference to your total sodium intake.

What about the minerals in these “healthier” salts? Well, to put things into perspective, you are only using a pinch in your cooking. Salt is not where you’re going to get most of your minerals from.

It is important that you stay in control and be mindful of your daily salt intake. At Nutrition Track, our advice is that it is ok to add salt to your food, but just don’t go overboard. It can make a huge difference that your future self will thank you for!  

Written by Nathaniel Keshan Rajah ~ an avid runner with a passion for nutrition and chronic disease management, student dietitan at IMU and intern at Nutrition Track

The post Salt: How much is too much? appeared first on Nutrition Track.

Is milk bad? Do I need to consume milk?

Let’s find out!

Nutritional value

• Minerals: Calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc
• Protein
• Vitamins: A, D, B2, B12

Milk from animal (such as cow’s milk) is a great source of high quality protein with all the essential amino acids (like leucine, which is involved in muscle synthesis). Milk proteins such as whey and casein (commonly found in protein powders) are ideal for active individuals when it comes to muscle growth and recovery.

Milk is also rich in calcium. Calcium is needed for the maintenance and development of bones and teeth. It is also involved in muscle and heart contractions as well as blood clotting. Low intakes of calcium have been associated with low bone mineral density, which can lead to osteoporosis and an increase risk of fractures.

As we age, we naturally lose bone mass. The best way to protect ourselves against this is to achieve peak bone mass, which can be done between 19 – 30 years old. A combination of weight bearing exercises and nutrition is needed. Calcium and vitamin D are key nutrients at this stage. As such, unnecessary restriction of calcium rich foods such as milk is concerning.

Common Milk Myths

Milk is fattening

First of all, no foods are inherently fattening. Overconsumption of ANY food can lead to weight gain.

With regards to dairy, research actually suggests that consumption can help with body weight and composition [1]. This is probably due to the proteins found in dairy, and its ability to regulate food intake and appetite.

If you’re concerned about the calories, opt for low-fat or fat free options.

Milk causes acne

Science does not support the link between the consumption of milk and acne. In fact, the general consensus is that acne is not caused or influenced by diet (at least not as much as we think). Genetics, hormones and the environment seem to play a bigger role.

If you have skin related issues or acne, see a doctor before cutting out foods unnecessarily.

Milk is acidic and therefore, bad for health!

Milk is slightly acidic in nature, BUT it does not increase the acidity of the body! Milk or any other food DO NOT influence body pH levels. If they had the ability to do so, you’d be dead.

Your body has tight regulatory systems in place to keep the body’s pH between 7.35 – 7.45.

Milk causes inflammation

The only time milk can cause inflammation is when it is related to an allergy reaction.

In this case, you should NOT be consuming milk.

Calcium tablets are enough

Calcium is not the only nutrient that milk is rich in (refer above). Plus, the other nutrients in milk such as magnesium and vitamin D, helps the body to absorb the calcium and takes it to where it needs to go – the bones!

Calcium tablets are NOT enough to replace milk! You would need to consider the other nutrients.

What if i am lactose intolerant?

Individuals with lactose intolerance lack the enzyme lactase that is needed to breakdown the sugar in milk (lactose). As such, they can suffer from tummy issues such as excess gas, diarrhoea, bloating etc due to the malabsorption of lactose.

If you get stomach issues after drinking cow’s milk, here’s what you can do:

• Try lactose-free milk. If you do not have symptoms, then you are indeed lactose intolerant. Lactose-free milk would be a good option for you.
• Alternatively, you can opt for alternative milks (soy/oat/rice/almond etc) that are fortified with calcium (at least 100mg per 100ml).

Even if you are lactose intolerant, you are likely to be able to tolerate up to 2 cups per day. I’d recommend consuming at separate meal times, about 50-100ml per sitting.

How much should I be drinking?

According to the guidelines [2], most individuals require about 2.5 – 3 servings of dairy.

250ml of milk = 1 serve

The no. of servings of dairy can be achieved via a combination of dairy foods (cheese, yoghurt etc) and not just milk.

Random milk and calcium facts [3]

• Calcium absorption is highest during infancy and puberty
• Oxalates, phytates and fibre can decrease calcium absorption
• Lactose improves absorption of calcium

The bottom line

At the end of the day, whether or not you should drink milk is completely your choice. If you have no issues with it, there is no reason to restrict as you might be missing out on key nutrients.

If you have any doubts or questions, do seek professional advice from a dietitian.

Hope this was helpful! Have an awesome day!

The post MILK – To Drink Or Not To Drink? 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.