How to stay in control this Christmas

Guys, let's be honest, for some people Christmas is a scary time.

It's a time when there is soooo much delicious, tempting food, and for those of you that are following a healthy eating plan it is very difficult to stay on track during this indulgent time of year.

Here's some tips for you that just might help you get through the silly season... without ending up looking like Mr Claus himself.

1. Don't deprive yourself

A recent study and other past research has shown that deprivation of food actually results in more food being eaten in the long run. I'm sure you can think of a time when you've had a craving for a certain food, let's say chocolate. You might say to yourself, "No, I'm being good, I'll have a piece of fruit". So you eat your piece of fruit which is nice but it doesn't quite hit the spot. So you make yourself a hot chocolate, thinking that the hot chocolate will eliminate the craving. It may, or it may not. Everyone is different. Let's say it doesn't. So you are still imagining that delicious piece of chocolate and can't get it out of your mind. So what do you do? Give in and eat it anyway.

Now looking back when you do the calculations, you've eaten a piece of fruit, a cup of hot chocolate, AND that piece of chocolate you craved in the first place. If you had just had that little square of chocolate you would have saved yourself around 1000 kilojoules. You may then also eat more than 1 piece of chocolate since you missed it so much, and that then adds even more kilojoules.

Moral of the story? Depriving yourself often brings out that rebel inside you that makes you want it more. Giving in and allowing yourself to have it will actually mean that you will want that food less (see Dr George Blair-West's book, an amazing read.)

2. Don't eat too much

You are probably loving my advice after point number 1. But this doesn't mean you get to eat the whole box of chocolate... (I said 1 piece remember.)

Just because it's 'Christmas' does not give you an excuse to overindulge. This is just a way that people like to justify to themselves that it's ok to eat and drink more than they should... because.. it's Christmas right? I can bet my bottom dollar I can guess the same group of people's new years resolution.

My advice is to plan ahead and stick to your usual healthy eating habits. And if you would like to have a little treat, do so, but have 1, not 10. Don't overdo it. Some foods you may not be able to stop at 1 (tim tams are those for me), so if you know this, don't let it even go near your lips and physically sit yourself away from that food if you need to. Remember your health and wellness goals and keep them at the front of your mind throughout the entire silly season. (My motivation is imagining myself in a bikini.... what works for you?)

3. Don't get boozed

Drink responsibly. Yeah, heard it all before? Well it's time to take note. Let's take a look at the maths:

Carbs yield 16 kJ per gram
Protein yields 17 kJ per gram
Alcohol yields 29 kJ per gram
Fat yields 37 kJ per gram

What does this mean? You can easily consume a lot of kilojoules in alcohol, as alcohol comes 2nd highest to fat in terms of the amount of calories you consume. Go easy on the alcohol and choose low alcohol wines and beers, and if you like spirits, drink them slowly on the rocks or with a mineral water. Stay away from soft drinks, they are full of sugar and will rot your teeth, just like your mother said.

My favourite party trick is to have a water between every wine. It keeps me hydrated and means less of a hangover the next day, which is always a bonus.

And if you are in a social situation where you'll cop a bit of stick for having a "Water... what??!!", then why not order a mineral water with fresh lime, which you can disguise as a vodka lime and soda. No one will know the difference!

4. Winning grandma's heart doesn't mean eating her entire plum pudding

Remember that showing your love to others doesn't have to mean ruining your healthy eating plans. Think of some non-food ways that you can show your friends and family your love and appreciation this Christmas.

Also, often when people know that you are trying to eat healthy and/or lose weight they will not only be understanding when you politely decline their food offering, but they will then be supportive of you by not continuing to make a big deal about why you keep refusing their food. They won't take it personally as they know it has nothing to do with their cooking or the food that they are providing.

Being honest when it comes to your healthy eating goals is always the best policy, and it will help to gain the support of others to keep you on track.

5. Two words is all you need

Don't be afraid to say "No thanks"

It takes a bit of courage but give it a go and you will feel much better about sticking to your goals. Remember to acknowledge how amazing the food looks and thank them for the offer. Being appreciative doesn't always have to correlate to you eating their food.

I like to remember that the person trying to convince you to eat that high fat, high calorie food is not going to be there to make you feel better the next day, when you are standing in front of the mirror, feeling awful and wishing you hadn't overindulged the night before. Stay in control of what you want to do and how much you want to eat, and don't be persuaded by others against your will.

6. Don't give yourself an excuse not to exercise

If you enjoy your physical activity, don't change your habits just because it's Christmas. Staying active over the Christmas period will mean that you may be able to get away with eating a couple of extra chrissy treats without putting on weight. It will also make you feel good about yourself and feel less sluggish.

If you are travelling somewhere away from home this Christmas, find a gym in the area you are staying in, suss it out and make sure you go (don't forget to pack your gym clothes and sneakers). My gym, Fitness First has a membership option where I can go to any Fitness First in Australia, which makes it easier when it comes to travel and means there's no excuses for me not to go.

Not a gym person? There are a thousand other ways to get active. Go for a walk, jog, play some backyard cricket, kick the footy, walk the dogs, these are just a couple that come to mind. Get creative and get the whole family involved, and have fun!

7. Sharing is caring

If you get chocolate or other yummy food as a chrissy present this year, don't be greedy, share it with your loved ones. The more you share, the better you will feel and the less calories you will consume. 

Signing off... 

Christmas is a lovely time of year that brings friends, family and food together. We often share many special moments around food, and it's easy to get swept away with the festivities and eat and drink much more than we mean to. This Christmas, why not keep focused on maintaining your healthy habits, with both eating and physical activity. I'd love to hear any other tips you have on how to stay in control this silly season.

Merry Christmas to you and thanks for your amazing support this year. I have loved every minute of sharing my passions with you, and I hope you've learnt a thing or two along the way.

Kangaroo... nutrition vs ethics

BBQ season is here, so why not throw some kangaroo on the barbie.

The advantages

Here's a little number story for you.

Bacon rashers contain 40% fat
Bacon shortcuts, pork and salami contain 30% fat
Beef & lamb contain 15% fat
Chicken & fish contain 5% fat

Kangaroo? 1.5% fat

Why? Kangaroo is classed as game meat. Meaning it's not domestically bred, it has to find its own food and isn't just spoon fed in a farm. Game meats, such as kangaroo, pheasant and deer (venison) are all very lean because they are more active than other animals as they have to hunt down their own food. It makes sense doesn't it... (think back to the hunter and gatherer days, there weren't many obese men or women back then).

 Believe it or not this photo was taken on my parents' property a month or two ago. Incredible!

As the fat on animals is predominantly saturated fat (the artery clogging fat), we want to minimise the amount of fat on our meat. Trimming the fat off any meat before cooking is a great strategy, but some meats still contain a lot of fat inside the actual meat (think a wagu marbled steak), so even if you trim the fat off the outside, some meats will still be relatively high in saturated fat. Kangaroo meat is very low in both total and saturated fat. It is also high in iron and a great source of protein. 

So my friend Julie, born in France who has been living in Australia, told me I should give kangaroo a go (how ironic). So I did, and I've gotta say it's delicious. I cooked it like a steak, with some onions. You could add garlic or other spices as well.

Now for those of you that look at this meal and put it in the too hard basket, it's not. I actually cheated just a little.

 Here's how to whip this meal up:

1. Heat a teaspoon of vegetable oil in a frying pan.
2. Chop up some onions and sautee over low heat until they go clear and lightly browned.
3. Add kangaroo, cook like you would a steak - remember you only need to turn a steak once!

4. Serve with your favourite vegies, I used some reheated frozen greens and some sweet potato superfries.

Quick and easy, Tick
Absolutely delicious? Tick
Nutritious? Tick

Price? I bought these 4 steaks for $9.74 from Coles (at $19.80/kg). I would expect to pay just as much for other red meats.

Ethical considerations

There has been a lot of debate recently about kangaroos, the killing of these animals and sustainability. There are many people out there fighting for kangaroos and asking for the culling or slaughtering of our national emblem to stop. This is an important issue that needs to be addressed, as there are many ethical and environmental issues to consider. You can read more on this here and here.

Let me know if you've tried kangaroo and your thoughts on this meat. You can also buy kangaroo pre-marinated which would be convenient to take along to a mate's barbie. Let's hope the cricket's not on...

Product Review: Sweet Potato SuperFries

Those of you that enjoy the occasional bit of TV may have seen the launch of a new product from McCain, Sweet Potato SuperFries. The ad is set with a family sitting around a table. The daughter brings out a bowl of Sweet Potato SuperFries, and encourages her father to try something a bit different. I think it's something we can all relate to. It reminds me of the movie The Castle, with the classic line, "What do you call this?" "Chicken".

Anyway back to the SuperFries. Have you tried them? Let me know what you think.

The Ingredients

The ingredients list is quite extensive.

Sweet Potato (72%), Vegetable Oil (Soy), Potato Starch, Rice Flour, Tapioca Starch, Sea Salt, Corn Starch, Corn Fibre, Baking Powder, Sugar, Dextrin, Dehydrated Sweet Potatoes, Dried Carrots, Thickener (415), Malt Powder (Malted Barley, Wheat Flour, Dextrose), Natural Flavour, Maltodextrin, Molasses, Spice, Natural Colours (150b, 160b, Paprika).

As you may know, the largest ingredients are listed first and so on.

It is suprising that sweet potato is listed as only 72%, I was expecting this to be much higher. It is also disappointing at the number of colours, thickeners and flavours that appear in these fries. I'm not sure why added flavours and colours need to be added to such a yummy, vibrant vegetable.

The Nutrition Panel

Nutritionally, the fries rate quite well. Note that a vegetable oil is used, and the fries are very low in saturated fat (0.6g per 100g), trans fat (less than 0.1g per 100g) and total fat (7g per 100g). Sea salt is the 6th ingredient, and contributes 370mg of sodium per 100g, which is not too bad, but could be lower (‘low salt’ means no more than 120 mg of sodium per 100g). McCain claims that Sweet Potato SuperFries are a rich source of vitamin A, and it's true. A 90g serving of these fries will provide almost half your daily requirement of vitamin A. What does vitamin A do? It has a powerful role in vision and preventing night blindness, as well as roles in cell function and immunity.

The Taste

Taste wise, I give the fries a big thumbs up.

The Cost

The price is a concern, when you compare these to how much you could buy with fresh ingredients. Yesterday at Coles I bought a 450g packet of the Sweet Potato SuperFries for $3.65. I also bought some regular sweet potatoes at $1.98/kg. So when you compare both at a weight of 450g, the SuperFries cost $3.65 whilst the sweet potatoes cost 89 cents. Although some consumers may argue that they are happy to pay more for the convenience of the SuperFries.

What's the verdict?

Overall the Sweet Potato SuperFries are a great substitute for regular deep fried chips. McCain uses a small amount of heart healthy oil and sweet potatoes will lower the glycaemic index of the meal. They are quick and easy to prepare (the instructions advise a 210 degree oven for 10 minutes). Oh and they come in Thin Cut and Crinkle Cut.

Of course nothing ever beats home cooked food, so if you have a half an hour to spare, why not make your own version of these!

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celcius. Wash and leaving the skin on, chop up some sweet potatoes into chip shapes (or whatever shapes you like), spray or brush them lightly with a mono or polyunsaturated oil such as olive or vegetable oil, and throw them in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until crunchy! It's that easy. And a much more cost effective option. Here's some I prepared earlier...

 These sweet potato chips were delicious on a Friday night with a nice piece of grilled salmon.

Junior MasterChef

The final episodes of Junior MasterChef are airing tonight and tomorrow night, and I'm excited. Who will be the winner?

Personally, I love this show. Some of those dishes the kids plate up are truly amazing. When I was young I used to love baking, although I would never compare myself to any of these Junior MasterChefs.

I've read a lot of articles over the past couple of months with writers criticising the show for exposing children to anxiety and stress, and all the rest. Let's take a look at the nutritional side.

Nutritionally, how is Junior MasterChef doing?

On Friday night in the final Masterclass they made the most delicious looking chocolate pudding using butter, full cream milk and chocolate. These ingredients are all high in saturated fat (the bad artery clogging fat) and high in calories in general.

The focus of Junior MasterChef is on cooking, not nutrition (if it was on nutrition I would have been picked to go through to the top 50 during my audition last year, for the adult show that is).

We do see a lot of ingredients that are not so ideal nutritionally that the kids are encouraged to use, like butter, cream, full cream milk, sugar, white flours, salt, salt, and salt!  It was sad to hear one of the young girls say to the judges when she was critiquing her dish that she "could have added more salt".

Despite this, I must say that if anything, this show is teaching and inspiring kids to cook!

It is suprising the number of Gen Y and even Gen Z kids these days that have little cooking skills. Even just having the basics, such as cooking a piece of meat, or steaming vegetables is unknown for some. What will happen if kids don't develop these skills when they are young?  Chances are when they move out of home they may eat out regularly or worse buy fast food as their staple meals.

 What I love about Junior MasterChef... 

All in all I think Junior MasterChef has a lot of positives to offer. This show encourages kids to develop cooking skills, which are really priceless skills to have. Kids can be educated over time on foods that should be eaten most, and those that should be eaten least, but cementing basic cooking skills is essential.

When I was a kid, there was nothing I liked more than to bake cakes and desserts. Pavlova, cheesecakes, brownies, muffins and lemon meringue pies were just a few of my 'signature dishes'. As I got older, I learnt more about what foods were better for me than others, and I started to experiment with my cooking to see how I could make it healthier. For example I would add crushed up Weet-Bix and fruit to my muffins, and when serving pavlova I would make sure that portions were small, and everyone received plenty of fresh fruit on their plate. I would use a brownie recipe that used olive oil instead of butter, and cocoa powder instead of chocolate.

 Pav - 2004

Junior MasterChef should also be applauded for how it encourages vegetable consumption. With almost every main meal there are vegetables served, and the show teaches the kids the many ways of cooking vegetables, and that they don't have to be boring. Thumbs up to any TV show that encourages kids to eat their vegetables! Junior MasterChef has also had Cook-A-Longs, where they give viewers the recipe in advance so they can buy the ingredients and 'cook-a-long' as they watch the show at home. So again this is promoting kids in the kitchen, with parent supervision required, meaning the whole family gets involved.

I have to give a big shout out to my wonderful parents, who endlessly encouraged me to get in the kitchen and whip up a storm. Dad would even eat the salads I created even though there was sometimes no meat in them.

 (That's me and my mum)

Sometimes it ended in tears (and a few tantrums when my cakes were a flop), but looking back I am so thankful that they gave me this opportunity to learn how to cook. I reckon it's one of the reasons I am a dietitian today!

Here's a couple of pics of my dad who recently cooked some amazing pizzas for the family (with labels and all - that's his sense of humour for you).

 The best pizzas you will ever taste

 Pumpkin, Baby Spinach and Toasted Pine Nut Salad

 And here's a couple of embarrassing ones from back in the day...

 No caption required for this one

Calzone - 2004

 Roast Pork - Mother's Day - 2007

 Gingerbread House - Christmas time

 Raspberry Baked Cheesecake - 2005

 Hot Cross Buns - Easter - 2009

 Pear and Almond Flan - 2009 

I suprised Mum for a very special birthday occasion with an afternoon tea for her and her friends

I think what we sometimes forget is the power of food to bring people together, and share many special memories. 

How healthy is your waist?

Having a healthy waist is a good indicator of health and wellness. Research is now showing that a waist measurement can be just as valuable as getting on the scales, in fact it may be better.

Let's start by talking about the difference between apples and pears (and I'm not referring to the fruits themselves). Apple body shapes are rounded, with a large proportion of body fat located in the abdominal area. Pears, on the other hand have a smaller waist, and more body fat located on the hips, thighs and butt.

 Which one is healthier?

The pear. Pear body shapes have a lower risk of heart disease, obesity, stroke, type 2 diabetes, cancer, the list goes on. It is much healthier (girls listen up) to have a larger butt measurement than your waist measurement. In fact studies have shown that a greater ratio between the two is associated with better health!

What is a healthy waist measurement?

If you have a tape measure nearby, I want you to take it out and measure your waist so you can see for yourself how you are tracking. Take the tape measure and place it around your abdominal region. Your waist is the skinniest part.

A healthy waist should be:

< 80cm for females
< 94cm for males

How did you go?

We did this activity in the office recently for National Safe Work Week. I left my healthy waist tape measure sitting in the lunch room, and sent an email around to everyone to say they were welcome to give it a go. I told them that the green zone = healthy waist, the red zone = increased risk of chronic disease. It sure got people interested! I had people coming up to me all day long proud and excited that they were in the green (healthy waist) zone. There was also the odd "Hmmm, that's gotta be wrong!" comment. All in all it was a great exercise in the workplace to promote waist measurement as a good indicator of health.

Being too thin

There is also the other side of the story which we often forget about. The obesity epidemic is a media favourite at the moment, however there are also many people out there on the opposite side of the scale that are very underweight. A common misconception, particularly amongst teenagers, is that being ultra thin is beautiful, and we should all look like the size zero celebrities because that's normal.

It's not. 

Being underweight is just as bad and dangerous as being overweight. There are just as many health risks associated with being underweight. Just like being obese can significantly increase your risk of a cardiac event, being underweight holds the same risks.

If you suspect you may be underweight, work out your Body Mass Index or BMI by taking your weight in kgs, and dividing it by your height in metres squared.

For example you may be 60kg, with a height of 1.8m.

60 / (1.8 x 1.8) = 18.5

If you have a BMI of less than 18.5 you are underweight and are at risk of malnutrition and associated health problems. Dairy Australia's healthy waist tape measure also recommends to seek medical advice if your waist is <60cm for females and <69cm for males.

To sum up, a healthy waist is a good indicator of health. If your waist is too large or too small, it is important to seek advice from an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD), the experts in food and nutrition.

To find an APD go to www.daa.asn.au and click on 'Find an APD'. You can even do a suburb search so you can find an APD in your area.

And don't forget, pear body shapes are much healthier than apples!