Got a new years resolution? Here's how to make it HAPPEN

What was your new years resolution this year?

Mine was to start blogging via you tube. That's right, I'm going to give my video camera a work out and try some cooking demos, product reviews and all sorts of other fun things. If you have any suggestions on what you'd like to see, I'd love to hear from you.

Speaking of new years resolutions, a couple of my thoughts were published in yesterday's Herald Sun. 

Here's the full scoop, where I've listed 5 tips to get you on your way to good health and nutrition in 2012.  

1. Have a plan

As the saying goes, failing to plan means planning to fail. If you’re serious about keeping your new years resolutions, you need to start off on the right track by writing your goals down. Yes, physically writing it down is important. Once it’s written it’s set on paper, whereas if you have your goals in your head it’s easy to forget them. I would recommend sticking your goals up on the fridge so that you have to see them every day. It will help you maintain your focus and will also remind your support network of your goals so that they can help you achieve them too.

2. Be realistic

Make sure your goals are realistic. This is probably the most definitive factor when it comes to sticking to your new years resolutions. If you’re goals aren’t realistic then you won’t be able to achieve them. Simple as that. So instead of setting a goal such as “I want to lose 10kg in a month”, set a more realistic goal like “I want to feel comfortable in my clothes and drop a notch on my belt”. The key difference is that by setting smaller, more realistic goals, you’ll feel good about yourself and be even more motivated to achieve the next one. Setting goals that are too out of reach can only lead to failure, and chances are you’ll go back to your old habits and be less motivated to try again.

3. Take it easy

New year is the time to reflect and decide how you’d like to tackle the next 12 months, but don’t go too hard too quickly. I can give you the example of my father (a go or no type of person), who one year decided that his new years resolution was to join the gym. Now that sounded all well and good, until I heard that he was hitting the gym every single day, for 3 hours each session. Going from nothing to such a full on training program, can you guess what happened? He injured his leg after about 2 weeks, and so that was the end of that new years resolution. So the moral of the story is, if you’re planning on starting an exercise regime, ease your way into it. Slow and steady wins the race.

4. Say NO to diets

One of the sad things about the new year is that many people decide to go on a diet. Detox diets are common with people trying to get rid of the toxins out of their system. But just like having unrealistic goals, these diets can only set you up for failure. Not only that, they can end up doing more harm than good. Would you go on a detox diet if you knew it was wasting away your lean muscle mass and reducing your metabolism? Remember that you’ve got your detoxing organs sitting in your body already. That’s your liver and kidneys, and they are perfectly equipped to do the job. My advice is to save your pennies and put them towards a visit to an Accredited Practising Dietitian. A dietitian can help you kick start your metabolism, maintain your muscle mass and help you lose those unwanted wobbly bits.

5. Get the right advice

An Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) is your diet coach, just like a personal trainer is your fitness coach. APDs are the university qualified experts in food and nutrition and provide up to date advice based on scientific evidence. APDs don’t tell you to restrict food groups. They will help you understand what foods are good for you and what portions you should be having. They know you’re busy and they know you have a life, and that restrictive diets just don’t work. But they know you want results, and are there to help you achieve them. To find out more, visit me on my facebook page facebook.com/DietitianNutritionist

Gingerbread Houses

I received a lovely little email in my inbox this morning titled "My Jemma inspired gingerbread house". In the email were these amazing pics of a gingerbread house that my friend Cosi made last night.

I'm so pleased that all my hard work has paid off and I'm inspiring my work colleagues to be healthy this Christmas! ;)

And if you attempt to put one together at night, Cosi has advised that you might need an extra bag of lollies... (just to keep you awake!)

Have you made a gingerbread house this year? Maybe you have photos you've taken from previous years. Would love to see photos of your Christmas cooking, so jump on facebook and post them on my wall, or even just tag me in a photo.

Merry Christmas

A2 milk

Most of us have heard of it or seen it in the fridge in the supermarket, but what actually is A2 milk and who is it suitable for? I asked guest blogger Shae Rickards to do some research for me and come back with the answers. Here they are!

Shae Rickards

Shae Rickards has successfully completed a Bachelor of Food Science and Nutrition and will undertake the Masters of Dietetics at Deakin University in 2012. She is interested in nutrition and its association with the prevention of diseases and general wellbeing. With the ever increasing incidence of obesity rates amongst Australians, Shae is passionate about empowering others to make healthy life choices.

Connect with Shae on Twitter

Connect with Deakin University on Twitter

Most of us agree that milk is good for us – right? After all, it’s a well known fact that cow’s milk is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, particularly calcium, and many nutrition professionals recommend that milk is consumed daily, as part of a balanced diet.

But lately, some have started to question which milk is best for optimising health and well being, following the release of findings from scientific studies about the effect of different milk proteins on human health. The focus of some recent scientific debate has been on the milk protein called beta-casein, which is described below.

What is milk made up from?

Cow's milk is made up of water, the milk sugar called lactose, milk fat, milk protein and various vitamins and minerals. In fact, milk is one of the richest sources of the mineral calcium, which we all know is needed for healthy bones, teeth and muscle function.

Cow’s milk has 2 main types of protein. The first is casein, which makes up around 80% of all the protein in milk and the rest is whey protein. Most people involved in the health and fitness industry know a lot about whey protein, but casein protein remains a mystery to many. Casein protein can be broken down further into 4 groups, but the one of interest in the current debate is beta-casein. Beta-casein makes up about 30% of the total protein in cow’s milk, or around ½ a teaspoon per glass. Beta-casein itself is further broken down into two main forms: A1 and A2 beta-casein.

What’s the difference between regular milk and A2 Milk?

The main difference between regular milk and A2 Milk is that A2 Milk contains A2 beta-casein rather than A1 beta-casein. It’s an important difference because these 2 types of beta-casein are digested differently. The A1 beta-casein type can produce a morphine-like compound called beta-casomorphin-7 (BCM-7) during digestion, whereas A2 beta-casein does not seem to produce BCM-7 on digestion. Some scientific evidence has linked the A1 beta-casein protein and its digestion product, BCM-7, with an increased risk of type 1 diabetes in children, heart disease in older men and aggravating symptoms in some neurological conditions like autism. So, it would seem that one of the benefits of A2 Milk is avoiding A1 beta-casein and so limiting exposure to BCM-7.

How did A2 Milk come about?

A2 beta-casein is the original form of the beta-casein protein found in milk. Around 5 to 10 thousand years ago, a mutation in the A2 genes caused the appearance of the A1 type in some European cows. Eventually, A1 beta-casein distribution spread and many cows with the genes to produce A1 beta-casein were bred for milk production. Today, some dairy farmers in Australia, New Zealand and in the UK want to produce milk with the original A2 beta-casein protein, and so are choosing and breeding cows with genes to produce A2 beta-casein.

How is A2 Milk produced?

A2 cows are specially selected to produce A2 Milk because they have the specific genes in their DNA to allow them to produce milk containing only the A2 variant of beta-casein. Farmers can identify cows that produce the A2 type of beta-casein by a simple and non-invasive DNA test which analyses hair from each cow. These cows are then milked separately to manufacture A2 Milk.

Is it healthier to drink A2 Milk?

All dairy milk is good for nutrition and health and so the National Health and Medical Research Council recommend that milk be consumed daily as part of a well balanced diet. Drinking A2 Milk offers the benefit of avoiding the A1 beta-casein and this could be important for some people. This could be because some scientific studies published in science journals show associations between A1 beta-casein and the development or aggravation of certain medical conditions such as type 1 diabetes and coronary heart disease. Another reason could be that the European Food Safety Authority in 2009 published a report on beta-casomorphins (which includes BCM-7) and health, which suggested BCM-7 can have negative effects in the body. More recently, 2 other studies (a, b) have found cow's BCM-7 in the blood of both breast and formula fed babies, suggesting that BCM-7 can be transferred to an infant by a mother.

Should I be drinking A2 Milk or who is this milk suitable for?

A2 Milk can be consumed by almost everybody apart from those with cow’s milk protein allergy or lactose intolerance. A2 Milk contains just as much lactose as a regular glass of milk. But, for people who have an intolerance to milk unrelated to lactose intolerance and those prone to certain medical conditions, there may be some benefit from A2 Milk. A2 milk also contains just as much calcium as A1 milk.

In conclusion, most milk brands sold in supermarkets contain a combination of the A1 and A2 type beta-casein proteins, whereas A2 Milk contains only the A2 type. A2 Milk is available in all major Australian supermarkets. Drinking A2 Milk can help avoid possible reactions allied with BCM-7. Research demonstrates that there may be benefits for heart, immune and digestive health associated with reducing consumption of A1 beta-casein.

Further reading

Editor's note:

Thanks Shae. What an interesting topic, and one that I'm sure we will continue to see more and more research on. I also came across this Jalna A2 yoghurt in Coles so good to see more and more A2 products out there for people that prefer them. 

One factor that might be an important differentiator for some is the cost. According to Coles online, 2L reduced fat milk costs $2 whereas the equivalent A2 milk costs $4.99. Ouch!

I want to reassure everyone that although A2 milk may be associated with some health benefits, we still need more concrete evidence. And even if A2 milk is linked with a reduced risk of heart disease, we know today that certain lifestyle changes (such as eating good fats and being physically active) can have a significant impact on our health and reduce our risk of chronic disease.

The important message is that regardless of A1 or A2, drinking milk is good for you! 3 glasses gives most adults the calcium they need each day.

Merry Christmas to you, from Jemma x

I wanted to take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas!



Ok, no one is allowed to use this pic against me. I did love my sweets as a kid. 

If you haven't done so already, make sure you check out my post on surviving the silly season. With so many temptations out there at this time of year, it's a good idea to have a plan and with some simple stategies, you'll be feeling on top of the world by the new year.

  

Scroll down and you'll also find my brilliant drawing (I don't think you could find a better one just quietly) of how to plate up your Chrissy lunch. Think plenty of salad, plenty of water, and go easy on the sweets and grog.

Speaking of sweets, I've also pasted a couple of pics of my Christmas cooking from previous years. I must admit that this year I've been rather slack in that department, but at the same time I know that whatever I make I'm going to have to sample, so it's probably best to steer clear! This year I am planning on cooking my first ever turkey, so I'll keep you posted on how that goes. Any tips are very welcome!



 



How to plate up your Chrissy lunch...

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all

Should I get rid of all fat from my diet?

 

The short answer is no. Fat plays a key role in our diet, and what’s most important to look at is the type of fat that you eat.

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are the good ones, as these help to reduce cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. You’ll find monounsaturated fats in avocados, olive oil, nuts and seeds; and polyunsaturated fats in oily fish like salmon, tuna and sardines, sunflower oil, linseeds and walnuts.

Saturated and trans fats are the baddies, and these are the ones to limit as much as possible. The consumption of these types of fats, found in butter, cream, fatty meats, biscuits, cakes and fast food has been found to have the opposite effect on the heart, increasing the chance of a having stroke or cardiac event, as well as increasing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and some cancers.

An easy way to remember is to try to include more plant fats in your diet, and cut down on the solid animal fats.

But remember, you can have too much of a good thing, and sticking to small portions is the key. For example, a small handful of nuts each day can help with weight loss, but a large bag of nuts each day is another story. An Accredited Practising Dietitian can help you identify what portions you should be having to ensure you’re getting the right fats you need, without the worry of gaining weight.

 



Energy drinks, corn chips, what next..?

Here's what you need to know about those things called ginseng and guarana... in today's Herald Sun.



Birthday cakes... and a trip down memory lane

Birthdays are special times.

It's the one time of year you get to be spoilt rotten with your loved ones around you, and chances are you'll celebrate with a birthday cake. Recently back home I was reminiscing about my own birthdays and how much I used to love having a birthday cake. Mum used to make a special cake for me each year from the Women's Weekly Children's Birthday Cake Book (and I've been told a new edition has just been released!). There are a few favourite cakes that spring to mind... but my ultimate favourite would have to be the ballerina cake my mum made for me on my 3rd birthday.


Yep, that's me :)

Mum also made me a humpty dumpty cake on my 2nd birthday - with a wall and everything, and she even stitched up for me my very own humpty dumpty toy!

Stoked

Can you have your cake and eat it too

Now when we put the words cake and nutrition in the same sentence, it usually means that to eat a nutritious diet we shouldn't be eating cake. And on one hand, if I were to put my dietitian hat on, I would remind you that too much cake could leave you ending up looking like humpty dumpty yourself. And if you work in an office where there's birthday cakes brought in nearly every week, you might need to look at some strategies to manage these social situations without feeling obliged to have a piece every time. Check out my tips here.

On the other hand, but still keeping my dietitian hat on, it’s important to remember that no one ever has the perfect diet, and treating yourself to a small slither of cake on your birthday is not going to be the end of the world (or the end of your diet!) On special occasions like your birthday it’s ok to have a little treat so you don’t feel like you’re depriving yourself, and believe it or not this can actually help you to stay on track with your health and wellness goals in the long term!

But  if you're the type of person that knows that you'll just feel too guilty if you decide to indulge, you might prefer to go with a cake that’s lower in fat or one that's based on fruit (a lighter choice). I thought it was very cute when I recently asked my partner what sort of cake he’d like for his birthday. His response was that he wasn’t too interested in a big chocolate cake with icing or anything like that, but one of his favourite desserts is the classic apple crumble, and that’s what he said he would like. I guess I’ve trained him well :)

Here are a couple more photos I managed to dig up... (now no laughing please!) and you'll find more on my facebook page. Oh and I have a confession to make... I had a birthday party at McDonald's! :S
 



 

 



So over to you now. What cakes did you have as a child? Did you have the ballerina cake like me or did you have a different favourite? Maybe you're a mum or dad that loves to make birthday cakes for your kids. Do you agree with McDonald's hosting birthday parties for children? Would love to hear your thoughts.