Archive for the ‘General’ Category
Monday, November 7th, 2011
A calorie is simply the unit that we use to measure energy.
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All foods have a ‘calorific value’ and this is simply the amount of calories (energy) that a food will supply your body when it is eaten. Food labels on packaged foods usually list the energy content in two units; one is kcals (calories) the other is in kj (joules).
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Your body needs energy to be able to fuel metabolic pathways that enable the body to work properly. We are all individuals and we have our own unique metabolic rate (this is the rate at which our body consumes calories per day). The average person’s metabolic rate is approximately 2000 calories per day.
The simple truth is that there is a ‘balance of energy’ in your body, if you burn more or less calories (through activity) than your body consumes daily (through food), you will lose or gain weight accordingly.
So how do you ‘burn’ calories?
There are a number of reasons why calories are burned in your body.
- Your body requires a certain number of calories per day to simply stay alive. This is called Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). Your body burns these calories to maintain the most basic functions of your body such as breathing, blood circulation and brain activity.
- The rest of the calories are ideally burned through exercise and activity. Everything you do results in you burning calories – washing up, hoovering, climbing the stairs, anything that involves movement will contribute to the total calories burned by the body.
Tags: activity, balance, calories, carlow, diet, energy, food label, healthy eating, kilkenny, nutrition, nutritional concepts
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Monday, October 10th, 2011
When you go to college or university it may be the first time you’ve lived away from home and been fully independent. To have enough energy to study and enjoy student life to the full you need to eat regularly and healthily!
What does a healthy balanced diet really mean?
- Eat regularly and base your meals on starchy foods
- Eat lots of fruit and vegetables
- Eat a wide variety of foods
- Try to eat less salt
- Cut down on saturated fats and sugars
- Get active and try to be a healthy weight
- Drink plenty of water
- Don’t skip breakfast
Get organised
- With some planning you can eat cheap and healthy meals on a tight budget
- Make a shopping list before you go and shop
- Watch your waste – when you buy foods that go off quickly, plan your meals carefully so it gets eaten or frozen straight away
- Vary your meals otherwise you will get bored of eating and cooking the same things over and over again
What could you have in your food cupboard?
You need to stock your cupboard and fridge with easy to cook ingredients. Suggestions of meals include:
- Soups – easy to make and nutritious especially if you add a lot of vegetables (fresh, frozen or canned).
- Pasta – it’s quick and easy to cook and prepare. Keep pasta sauces in your cupboards and add your own flavours, vegetables etc. to it
- Rice – mix cooked rice with leftover vegetables and meat
- Bread is a good source of carbohydrate. Choose wholemeal bread rather than white as it is more nutritious and filling.
- Potatoes – Baking potatoes are great value and versatile.
- Porridge oats – cheap and it’s a really filling meal to start the day with. You could add some fresh or dried fruit for variety.
- Beans and lentils – cheap to buy and a small amount goes a long way! Canned varieties can make a quick and nutritious addition to soups and stews. Lentils and beans can be used as a main meal with vegetables added. Baked beans on toast is a classic and is actually a very healthy dish, especially if you use wholemeal bread, and low fat spread.
- Vegetables and fruit – can add vegetables to curries, soups, stir fries. Canned and frozen vegetables can be used as additions to last minute meals. Fruit is excellent for a quick nutritious snack. We should be eating at least 5 pieces of fruit and vegetables per day.
- Condiments – add taste and flavour to your cooking. Keep a selection of dried herbs, spices, curry powder, vinegars, tomato sauce, soy sauce and stock cubes in your cupboard.
- Tinned tomatoes – these can form the base of all sorts of sauces, are low in fat and count as a portion of your fruit and vegetables.
- Chicken – chicken seems to be of better value if you buy in larger quantities. If you’ve got a freezer you could chop it up and freeze it in small amounts.
- Eggs – are easy to cook and versatile.
- Canned fish – Mackerel, sardines and pilchards are good sources of protein and omega 3 fatty acids.
- Milk – full of calcium and vitamins and is healthy drink at any time of the day. Choose semi-skimmed or skimmed milk for a lower fat option.
Tags: 5 a day, activity, budget, carlow, college, cooking, diet, energy, fat, fruit, healthy eating, kilkenny, low fat, nutrition, nutritional concepts, saturated fat, starchy, student, university, vegetables
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Monday, August 29th, 2011
Eating too much fat increases amongst other things your risk of heart disease and encourages weight gain.
Research has shown that our diet generally contains too much fatty food and that we can all benefit from eating less fat.
Instead of getting our energy from starchy foods (carbohydrates) like bread and potatoes, we rely too much on foods that are high in animal fats such as red meat, butter and cheese.
Tips for reducing fat intake:
- Choose lean meat. Trim all visible fat from meat and poultry prior to cooking.
- Choose low fat milk; choose semi-skimmed or skimmed milks.
- Choose low fat yoghurts.
- Choose low fat spread.
- Fry very occasionally using olive, sunflower or rapeseed oil. Choose grilling or baking instead.
- Beware of the hidden fats in biscuits, cakes, chocolate, pastry and savoury snacks. Always read your food labels.
- Fill up on fruit and vegetables.
- Look out for low fat snacks, low fat yoghurt and fruit.
- Use oven chips rather than fried.
Tags: calories, carlow, diet, fat, food label, fruit, healthy eating, kilkenny, lose weight, low fat, nutrition, nutritional concepts, vegetables
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Monday, August 15th, 2011
If you are overweight, you probably know that you need to change, but a crash diet is never a good idea.
The simple fact is that you may be able to maintain a crash diet for a short period, however there is a significant likelihood that you will soon regain the weight, returning to your pre-crash diet weight.
Here are some of the reasons why crash diets don’t work -
The body reacts to the severe reduction in calories by reducing its metabolic rate.
In simple terms, the body reduces the amount of energy required for normal functioning when it is starved of food. This slows down the rate at which calories are ‘burned up’ meaning that if you significantly reduce your food intake, your body simply burns fewer calories.
When more energy is required by your body for metabolic and other functions, (these are the basic functions of your body, breathing etc). The body will simply burn muscle tissue, rather than fat.
Research shows that most people who embark upon a very low calorie diet may lose weight rapidly, but fail to sustain the weight loss over the medium-long term.
Instead you should aim You to set realistic targets to avoid failure and achieve successful weight loss.
Tags: activity, calories, carlow, crash diet, diet, energy, healthy eating, kilkenny, lose weight, metabolism, nutritional concepts
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Monday, July 18th, 2011
- Eat fewer fried and fatty foods such as cream, butter, full-fat dairy products, fatty red meat, cakes, biscuits and takeaways – and find lower-fat alternatives instead.
- If you have to use oil, go for one that is packed with monounsaturates such as olive oil or rapeseed oil.
- Eat five servings of fruit and vegetables every day – they are low in fat and calories but will help to fill you up.
- Go for high-fibre carbohydrates such as wholemeal bread, wholegrain cereals, brown rice and wholewheat pasta. They are far more filling than the white stuff.
- Start your day with a bowl of porridge.
- Use a little less meat in dishes like stews, soups and casseroles and add barley, lentils or beans instead.
- Eat oily fish once a week. Lunch on sardines with toast or serve salmon for dinner.
- Slash the salt content of your diet – check salt levels before you buy.
- If you drink, stick to sensible limits – that means no more than 3-4 units a day for men and 2-3 units daily for women.
Tags: 5 a day, alcohol, carlow, diet, energy, fat, fruit, healthy eating, healthy heart, kilkenny, low fat, nutrition, nutritional concepts, portion, vegetables, vitamins and minerals
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Monday, July 4th, 2011
The best way to eat if you want to banish tiredness is to have a healthy, balanced diet that contains foods from four main food groups in the right proportions.
The four food groups are:
- potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and other starchy foods
- fruit and vegetables
- milk and dairy foods
- meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein
- Eat at regular intervals.
- Start the day well with breakfast.
- Aim for 5 a day with fruit and vegetables.
- Say no to sugar.
- Watch your intake of alcohol.
- Eat enough for your activity level.
Tags: 5 a day, activity, alcohol, calories, carlow, diet, energy, fruit, healthy eating, kilkenny, nutrition, nutritional concepts, sugar, vegetables
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Monday, June 20th, 2011
The school holidays are fast approaching and they can be associated with a lack of routine which can mean that there are more opportunities to eat more food more often. Here are some tips to avoid over-indulging in fatty, sugary, salty and pre-packaged foods that can be tempting alternatives during the holidays.
- Encourage your kids to maintain their school-eating schedule. This can help to stop grazing between meals. Try to stick to a nutritious breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as healthy morning and afternoon snacks.
- When packing the swimming gear or getting ready for the walk to the park, throw in some fresh fruit and vegetables to help with the hunger pangs.
- Encourage your kids to drink more water, rather than fizzy drinks.
- Focus on more activity to help counteract any increased food intake.
- Keep kids occupied as much as possible. Boredom can play a big part in snacking, overeating and drinking.
- Help make mealtimes fun. Let your kids help to plan and prepare a meal.
Tags: activity, carlow, diet, fruit, fun, healthy eating, holidays, kids, kilkenny, nutrition, nutritional concepts, school, snack
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Monday, June 6th, 2011
Berries are some of the most healthy foods, and summer is the season of the berry. Besides being delicious, berries are low in fat and calories, but high in fibre, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, these not only contribute to overall health, but may even help prevent cancer and heart disease. They are more affordable in summer, being in season and thanks to the freezer, we can have the advantages of berries year-round.
Ideas for Serving Berries
Most berries like strawberries, blueberries and raspberries are sweet enough to be served just as they are; however, here are some more ideas:
- Add strawberry slices to a bowl of whole grain cereal
- Sprinkle blueberries on a salad
- Stir fresh raspberries into yoghurt
- Combine frozen berries with bananas and low-fat milk to make a smoothie
Tags: 5 a day, berries, calories, carlow, fruit, healthy eating, kilkenny, low fat, nutrition, nutritional concepts, snack, summer, vitamins and minerals
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Monday, May 23rd, 2011
GET FIT & LOSE WEIGHT FOR CHARITY
Nutritional Concepts is proud to support this
8 Week Charity BOOTCAMP at Killerig Resort!!
- Full weight loss & nutrition programme
- Motivational support
- Professional experienced instructors
- Regular weigh-ins
- Prizes for most weight lost & money collected.
STARTS 1st WEEK IN JUNE!
Tags: activity, bootcamp, carlow, charity, diet, dietitian, healthy eating, lose weight, nutrition, nutritional concepts, Sport
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Monday, May 9th, 2011
Benefits of Quitting Smoking
Quitting smoking may well be the single most important thing you can do to improve your health, your body feels these benefits almost immediately.
- After 20 minutes your blood pressure and pulse return to normal.
- After 24 hours your lungs start to clear.
- After 2 days your body is nicotine-free and your sense of taste and smell improve.
- After 3 days you can breathe more easily, and your energy increases.
- After 2 to 12 weeks, your circulation improves.
- After 3 to 9 months coughs, wheezing and breathing improves.
- After 1 year your heart attack risk is half that of a smoker.
- After 10 years your lung cancer risk is half that of a smoker.
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Irish Cancer Society (2011)
Will I Gain Weight if I Quit Smoking?
Not everyone gains weight when they stop smoking. You can control your weight while you quit smoking by making healthy eating and physical activity a part of your life. Although you might gain a few pounds, don’t forget that you have quit smoking and taken a big step toward a healthier life.
How to Reduce Weight Gain After Quitting Smoking
Get regular moderate intensity physical activity. Regular physical activity may help you avoid large weight gains when you quit smoking. It may help you look and feel good, and fit into your clothes better. You will likely find that you can breathe easier during physical activity after you quit smoking. Try to get 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity on most days of the week, preferably every day.
Diet Advice After Quitting Smoking
Having more high fat, sugary snacks and alcoholic drinks may lead to large weight gains when you quit smoking. The ideas below may help you make healthy eating and drinking choices as you quit smoking.
- Do not go too long without eating. Being very hungry can lead to less healthy food choices.
- Eat enough at meal times to satisfy you.
- Choose healthy snacks, such as fresh fruit or canned fruit in juice (not syrup), unsalted popcorn or fat-free yoghurt, when you are hungry between meals.
- Do not deny yourself an occasional treat.
Tags: activity, calories, carlow, diet, fat, healthy eating, kilkenny, nutrition, nutritional concepts, quit, smoking, weight gain
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