Nutrition

Go crazy for nuts!

Activated Nuts Nuts are a fantastic addition to meals or as a snack between meals. The benefits of eating a handful of nuts every day (without the salt, honey, or roasting – sorry!) have been proven. Nutrient-dense, they are rich in protein (ten to 25 per cent) and up to 80 per cent of the fat they contain is unsaturated. They are also a significant source of fibre and minerals. Unfortunately, many people have digestive issues with nuts, They have quite a few enzyme inhibitors and a little phytic acid, so they can bother your digestion and cause bloating, gas, heart burn, and stomach ulcers over the long term. Phytic acid is the storage form of phosphorus found in many plants, especially in the bran or hull of grains and in nuts and seeds. Although herbivores like cows and sheep can digest phytic acid, humans can’t. So for some nut consumers – such as vegetarians who rely on them as a key source of protein and vitamins – activating nuts makes the most of the nutrients.

Reduce your sugar intake!!! But why??

We often hear “sugar is bad” but what are the reasons? There are actually more than a hundred ways it affects us. The following are 20 ways sugar affects our mind and bodies.
Following on from the excellent blog last week from my colleague and friend Adrian, I would love to share with you my thoughts on the ‘protein debate’, and share some tips on how to prepare animal protein to mitigate some of the potential risks of cooking with these wonderful foods.
Red meat, chicken, pork and animal products in general have had a bad wrap over the past 40 years via nutritional experts and government health promotion. Consumption of animal products such as meat and dairy has been linked to giving us cancer and heart disease; our two biggest killers here in Australia. Why though? When human beings have been consuming animal products for millennia and archaeological records suggest that humans did not suffer as we do today. Could it be that the animals that we eat today bear little resemblance to the healthier animals of the past?

Seasonal Eating in Western Australia

Traditional cultures still eat by season. You buy an apple in a market and you know it has come from a nearby farm and was picked the same week as you purchased it. Changes over the years in farming techniques and food storage means that the apple you are eating may have been in cold storage for weeks or come from a foreign country.

New Food Pyramid Review

Australians, did you know we have a new guide to healthy eating from the government? As you can see, the new guidelines are a pie chart, that kind of looks like a plate. The Department of Health and Aging suggest we eat these relative proportions of food groups daily. The department is well intending though some of this research is a little out dated.

What is Gluten?

Do you follow a gluten free diet? If you ask the majority of the population what gluten is, they usually don’t have an accurate answer. If you asked someone with coeliac disease, you would get the correct answer because their life and health depends on knowing every little crumb of knowledge regarding what food or even cosmetics contain it!

CANDIDA

Reoccurring infections? Unexplained digestive upset? Just don’t feel right? Candida is the cause of many health issues. Manifestations such as digestive issues or infections in toenails, urinary tract, or the mouth may seem to be totally unrelated but can all have the same cause; a yeast by the name of Candida Albicans, commonly known as Candida.

The Lowdown on Non Coeliac Gluten Sensitivity

Non coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) is neither an autoimmune or allergic reaction, but causes similar symptoms to those seen in coeliac disease when gluten is consumed. Symptoms are wide and varied and include diarrhoea, fatigue, “foggy mind”, joint pains and unexplained rashes.

Wheat and the Leaky Gut – Funny Name, Serious Stuff

The grain known as wheat has had quite a ride in the past 50 years or so. The wheat we eat today is completely unrecognisable to the wheat our grandparents ate, thanks to the efforts of agriculture scientists working to significantly improve the yields of this staple crop. But what have these changes done to our health? Is it just a coincidence that the rise in auto-immune diseases, allergies and type II diabetes correlate to the changes in wheat? The science doesn’t think so.