Well….the answer is EGGS!

Yes, it’s now official.

Eggs are definitely a ’superfood’. Recent research has shown that eggs provide a variety of essential nutrients , particularly protein, essential amino acids, selenium, choline and vitamins A, D and B12. It is one of the most nutrient-dense foods around and very low in calories. It is also known to help with weight loss!

It is thought that at least one egg a day will give you the optimum benefits.

Now, you might be thinking that you should avoid eggs if you have high cholesterol. But this is no longer the case because studies have shown the the cholesterol from cholesterol containing foods don’t effect your blood cholesterol as much as saturated fats. Only 50% can be absorbed.

The main groups of people that woudl greatly benefit from a regular egg dose a day are children, adolescents and older adults. The high quality protein and amino acids found in eggs helps with skeletal muscle development and proper growth and repair of the body.

So go ahead and have an egg a day! Preferably, boiled, poached, scrambled or microwaved – avoid frying too much!

Until soon with more musings…

Loretta

It’s now been proven that soya isoflavones help reduce the rate of hot flushes in menopausal women by up to 41%. This was found out by a recent Italian study which showed it reduced the discomfort experienced during menopause. It was also effective after just 6 weeks of use.

About 70% of women in the Western world experience hot flushes during menopause, in comparison to just 5-18% in Asian women. This is thought to be due to the greater intake of soya in the Asian diet.

You just need 80mg a day of the soya isoflavones to take effect. The source of this information, in case you are interested, is; Ferrari. A, “Soy extract phytoestrogens with high dose of isoflavones for menopausal symptoms.” Journal of Gynaecol Res. 35.6 (2009): pp1083-90.

So try to add soya and soya products into your daioly diet byt using a combination of the following;

Soya milk (unsweetened and fortified with calcium)

Soya bean in casseroles and soups etc.

Soya spreads

Soya yogurt

So go ahead and give it try!

Until soon with more musings…

Loretta

When it comes to eating more fruit and vegetables, people often struggle to eat enough on a daily basis. In the UK, we are advised to have at least 5 portions a day, in France it’s about 7 portions a day and last I heard, in Australia they aim for at least 9 portions a day.

Firstly, do you know what a portion is?

Well, it’s simple- a portion is anything that fits in the palm of your hand.  So, for example, one medium apple, a small orange, 3-4 chunks of melon, 6-10 grapes (depending on the size), is a portion. When it comes to vegetables, it’s approximately 3 heaped tablespoons.

Now, most poeple can’t seem to get more than about 3-4 portions of a mixture of fruit and vegetables a day.  Some people also don’t even include any fruit – not even one! Lots of excuses include; the fruit doesn’t look nice, it goes off quickly so I don’t buy them etc.

The good news is that nowadays there really aren’t any excuses left because we now have tinned, dried and frozen fruit and vegetables to choose from and use. And yes they are just as good as fresh versions. Just imagine this – fresh fruit and vegetables first have to be picked/harvested at the site they grow on, then they get boxed up and put onto trucks to then travel long distances to get to the supermarkets. Once there, they gat ofloaded and then stacked up, to then be placed onto the shelves of the shop on display by the time the shops open.  Then customers come along and pick what they want to purchase later in the day – usually lunchtime onwards. This is hours later. What you have to bear in mind is that nutrients start to deteriorate as soon as the fruit/vegetable is picked.

Now when it comes to tinned, dried and frozen foods, they get picked at their optimum nutritional state and usually immediately frozen, or go through a quick heating/drying process. The latter two processes will cause slight vitamin deterioration, but also increases other nutrients such as ?- carotene and iron levels. With the tinned fruit, however, you must buy those in natural fruit juices, and with dried fruits you have to be careful not to overeat on these (which is very easily done!).

So take a look at your intake, and find ways to increase it – no excuses now!

Until soon with more musings…

Loretta

Have you noticed that some people tend to put on weight more around the abdominal area? Especially in men. You may have heard of the term ‘apple’ and ‘pear’ shaped. Well, abdominal weight gain means you’re apple shape. If this is you, it’s important to know that you are at a much higher risk of developing coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes, as it will lead to greater insulin resistance.

The fat which you can see, that lies just under your skin, is known as subcutaneous fat. This is the bits that everybody wants to try to reduce and get rid of. But there is another place where ‘apple’ shaped people also gain more fat, and that is actually within your body and builds up around your organs. This is known as visceral fat.

More and more studies are showing that it is this fat that you need to shift to help reduce the risk of developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes. This can be done easily through a healthy lifestyle – watching what you eat, keeping to a low fat diet, and exercising more. Even exercise alone can help lower the amount of this visceral fat mass.

So, you have been warned! If you don’t do anything about your wide waistline – then you’re heading for a shorter life with lots of health problems. Do something!

If you need more advice and tips of how to lose weight and burn fat, then I suggest you take a look at The F.A.B. Diet. It will really help you get started onto the road of good health.

Until soon with more musings…

Loretta

The word ‘diet’ is often associated more with the female of the species. This, I find, is also true of weight loss groups like Weight Watchers, Slimming World etc. It’s evident in the fact that a lot of the fizzy/soft drinks that are sugar free have had the word ‘diet’ or light’ taken off and replaced with words like ‘max’ and ‘zero’ etc. (I think you’ve probably guessed which ones I mean, by now!)

I often wonder if men actually are aware that they do need to lose weight if they notice that they are starting to get a beer belly? Or do they know, but feel that they don’t need to do anything about it? Maybe, they want to do something but are uncomfortable with the idea of seeking help and guidance, and so suffer alone? If you’re an overweight man out there, I would be interested to know about your views on this and what you feel you might need to help you.

I think that the idea of ‘dieting’ and ‘calorie coutning’ will forever have feminine connotations, and that health professionals and companies need to think of other terms to use to gain a male audience to use the services and products. Maybe we should stick to the term ‘healthy eating’ or ‘living a healthy lifestyle’?

Anyway, just a few thoughts for now.

Until soon with more musings…

Loretta

Hi All

Hope you’re well.

It’s been a really long time since my last blog.

Well, what can I say! Life took over me. I just got really busy with family, work and trying different projects.

But I’m back on track and should be writing more regularly.

So I can only apologise to those of you that have been following me.

So I’ll now go onto writing my new blog.

Until soon with more musings…

Loretta

Yes.

More and more studies are now confirming that plant sterols do actually help to lower the “bad” cholesterol (LDL-cholesterol) levels in your blood.

Although lowering saturated and hydrogenated fats in your diet are the most important things to change, if you are struggling to lower your cholesterol with changes to your lifestyle, then try including some plant sterols and see if it will help.

There are lots of products available now which contain these. Go for the ones that contain at least 2g, as 2g per day is the amount needed regularly to take an effect.

So, if you feel stuck, why not try some as part of your heathly lifestyle.

Until soon with more musings…

Loretta

I believe that life is all about enjoying it, and this also means when you are getting healthy.

It’s good to make sure that you have a balance of everything in your diet and so make sure you give yourself treat days.

Now when I say treat days, this literally means the occassional “treat” like chocolate cake, ice cream, take-aways or anything that you normally would consider unhealthy. But it’s important not to go overboard and then binge for 2-3 days. You must have self-control.

My suggestion is to choose 1-2 particular days of the week as your day to have that one treat.

Also, if you know that you’ll be going to a friends house, or a party at the weekend, then use that time to have your treat.

As soon as you’re finished, make sure you do go back to your usual healthy routine. Don’t just keep treating yourself everyday and all day long.

But even if you do end up binging, just take a step back, reassess your situation and then get back to your usual healthy routine. Don’t just give up because of 2 or 3 days of binging. It’s not going to be the end of the world! Trust me.

So go ahead and have a small bite of cake if you want to. Don’t deprive yourself.

Until soon with more musings…

Loretta

It’s true.

You know the story of the hare and the tortoise. Well being slow is the best thing to be when it comes to making changes in your lifestyle to get healthy and lose weight.

Basically, take things one step at a time and you’re more likely to succeed.

Think of one change you want to make to your lifestyle.  For example, it could be to have breakfast in the mornings.

Make this change and do it for about 1-2 weeks. Don’t make any other changes. Simply accomplish this one.

Once you manage to eat a healthy breakfast every morning, decide what the next change should be, and again do this step by step.

You get the picture?

By doing this, you are forming goof habits that you can then maintain forever!!! Hence you’ll be healthier and fitter forever!!!

Until soon with more musings…

Loretta

…That is to your weight lifting dumbbells, of course!

Yes, it’s true ladies.

If you are after a quicker and more effective fat loss, and muscle definition, you need to start lifting much heavier weights.

By doing so, you will be working your body and your muscles much more. You’ll be gaining more muscle mass, which in turn will lower your fat mass. So don’t be shy of using the heavier weights at the gym or at home. Don’t just use the baby dumbbells. Go for over 5kg, and do lower repetitions. With time, you’ll notice the difference.

So ditch the baby bells or at least use them for a warm up) and go for the big ones!!!

Until soon with more musings…

Loretta