Beware of the Easter Bunny

Easter is literally on our doorstep, which means chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate. 

For some of us this is a very dangerous time. You’ve set some goals at the start of the year as part of your new years resolution, and you’ve just started feeling good about getting into a routine. And then Easter comes along and it’s like walking into Temptation on The Biggest Loser. Chocolate finds you wherever you go. In the supermarkets, in the office, even at the gym. Friends give you chocolate as gifts, but you really wish they hadn’t as you know where that chocolate’s headed… yep, straight to your thighs. 

I'll be the first one to admit that as a chocolate lover, this is VERY dangerous territory for me. In fact, last night my Easter eggs caught me at a weak moment and I ended up indulging in much more chocolate than I should have, to the point where I physically could not eat any more as I felt so sick. Ring some bells?

Bad dietitian you might say, very bad. But let’s be honest, regardless of my profession, I’m still human, and I know how easy it is to get sucked into the Easter chocolate fest. So here’s my survival guide on getting through Easter without putting on weight (possibly this time it’s do as I say, not as I do..)

1. Out of sight, out of mind

One important strategy I must share with you is the ‘out of sight, out of mind’ philosophy. If you buy Easter eggs and place them in a bowl on your kitchen bench, then all I can say is best of luck to you, and fat chance those eggs will stay there for long. 

Sitting Easter eggs out on your kitchen bench right under your nose is like dangling a diamond ring in front of a woman. It’s just too much of a temptation not to go there. My recommendation is that if you don’t want to be tempted by Easter eggs, don’t put yourself in a position to be tempted. 

Place your eggs at the back of your cupboard or somewhere where they cannot be easily seen. Yes you know where they are, there's no kidding yourself there. But by placing them in a hidden location, you won't see them when you wake up, you won't see them when you get home starving, and you won’t be tempted to nibble on one while you're cooking tea.

So what’s the point in buying them in the first place, you ask? Well it’s not that I’m saying not to buying them, but by storing them ‘off limits’ it means that when you do happen to feel like one, you’ll be more likely to be in control of your behaviour and more likely to savour and enjoy the chocolate, rather than just wolfing it down like a labrador because you’re either starving or bored.

2. Do you really need it?

I think often we get sucked into the Easter craze, so much so that it seems un-normal not to overindulge in chocolate over the Easter period. And if I was to say, like I have to my family and friends in past years, "I'm not eating any chocolate this year", I would get hit with looks you'd never hope the wind would change on.

Have a think about why you eat chocolate at Easter. Is it because you want to fit in with everyone else, and not feel as though you are missing out on something? Is it because every time you walk into the supermarket you are bombarded by chocolate Easter eggs and you give in to temptation? Is it because it's a norm in your family, and maybe your husband would murder you if you took away chocolate from his Easter? Or is it simply a great excuse to eat chocolate and not feel guilty, because, it’s Easter and that’s just what you do, right?

A great book by Dr Rick Kausman called If not dieting, then what? explores some of these relationships we have with food. One of his empowerment cards (available for purchase on his website) says "I can have it if I want it, but do I really feel like it?" 

Think about the meaning of this sentence. Next time you reach for an Easter egg, think to yourself, do I really feel like it? Do I really need it? If the answer is yes, enjoy it and let that moment last. If the answer is no, put it back in the cupboard and distract yourself by doing something else. 

 

3. Good things come in small packages

Portion size is critical when it comes to chocolate. Let's do a comparison:

• A mini egg (the small eggs that you buy in bags of about 20) will set you back around 150kJ and 2g fat. 
• A hollow small egg (the ones you by in the cartons of 12) has 450kJ and 6.5g fat.
• A bigger egg (the ones you buy on their own, about 15cm tall) has 2840kJ and 36g fat.
• And a tall bunny (about 30cm tall) has 3300kJ and 43g fat.

Then there’s my brother's favourite - the huge dinosaur egg. This one contains a whopping 15470 kJ and 208g fat. Yep, that works out to be about 178% of someone’s total daily calories and 3 times the recommended fat intake.

So what’s the moral of the story? Choose your portions wisely. Bigger eggs mean more calories, more fat, and more chance that you’ll gain weight. The other thing to remember is that when eggs are portion controlled, you don’t eat as much. I personally find (yes from chocolate eating experience) that once you break into one of those big eggs or bunnies, it’s very hard to stop. There’s always an edge that needs breaking off. And of course it’s absolutely essential that you need make it level all the way around. Until you accidentally break a bit off that forms another jagged edge.. (get the picture?)

 

  
4. The old 'antioxidant' theory... don't be fooled

I could not keep count of the number of times I have heard people justify drinking red wine or eating dark chocolate by saying that it's got antioxidants so that makes it ok. 

Now don’t get me wrong, if every Australian drank wine in moderation (ie. 1 glass a day) and only ate 1 square of chocolate a day then us dietitians would be very happy chappies. Unfortunately many of us eat and drink much more than this and we know that this can result in health problems. 

So is chocolate good for us? It’s true that chocolate has health properties. Studies have shown that chocolate can reduce blood pressure, increase insulin sensitivity, and act as a  protective mechanism against cardiovascular disease. The antioxidants in chocolate are called flavonoids. And the darker the chocolate, the more flavonoids there are, which is why if you are going to eat chocolate the darker you go the better. Darker chocolate tends to be more bitter and stronger in flavour than other chocolate, but this is a good thing as chances are you won’t eat as much. 

But when it comes to the antioxidant excuse, chocolate and red wine don’t come through as the winners. Fruit and vegetables take trophies, and we all need to eat more of these. You can read more on antioxidants here. 

In terms of chocolate consumption for health, eating small amounts of dark chocolate has been shown to have health benefits, but as chocolate is high in fat and high in calories, if you can’t stop at one or two squares, it may be best not to have it at all. 

5. Don’t eat chocolate for breakfast

This might seem like a pretty self explanatory concept, but I know there are some of you that will wake up on Easter Sunday and tuck into your giant Easter egg first thing in the morning. I know this because believe it or not, I used to do it as a child myself! (Bad dietitian once again). 

So I remember how disgusting it made me feel and how by doing this it also ruined my eating habits for the rest of day. I used to justify it by thinking that it was ok because it was just a substitution for another meal. But I now know that it doesn’t work that way. Substituting a meal for chocolate doesn’t work because chocolate doesn’t have the protein or fibre in it to keep you feeling full until your next meal and you will end up eating a lot more calories in the long run than if you had stuck to your normal eating habits with a few treats on the side. Studies have shown that people that eat a nutritious breakfast are more likely to eat well throughout the rest of the day. So don’t change your habits just because it’s Easter. Your stomach will also thank you for it!

6. Stay active, but don't think by exercising you can eat whatever you want

Seeing as we've just discussed the kilojoule and fat content of Easter eggs, I think it's fitting to remind you that this is a time that you need to stay active. In case you haven't noticed, the days are getting shorter and the sun is coming up much later. Winter is fast approaching, and when you combine that with Easter it's no wonder that the kilos will start creeping on.

Those of you that do group fitness classes or have a personal trainer will know that trainers love to talk in calories. They’ll be talking Easter eggs in your classes and telling you how many eggs you’re burning off as you pump iron in BODYPUMP or cycle away in RPM. But be very very careful. Don't get into the mindset that so long as you’re exercising it's ok to eat as much chocolate as you like. I won’t even delve into how much exercise it takes to burn off an Easter egg as chances are if I tell you it will make you cry. What you need to know is that it takes a lot of exercise to burn off a few little Easter eggs, and although it’s great that you’re exercising, you’ll still be likely to gain weight if you overindulge. 

Summing up

All in all I hope this post has given you some food for thought. Easter is only a few days away so make sure you have a plan and set some boundaries for yourself. Remember there is plenty more to Easter than chocolate, so enjoy the non-food related activities that Easter brings and take the focus away from food. Go get yourself a massage, catch up on sleep, get some sunshine, absorb yourself in that book that you’ve been desperate to read or just enjoy spending time with friends and family. Think of your holidays as a way to rejuvenate your mind and your body, and don’t forget to maintain that healthy lifestyle that you’ve worked so hard on.

Happy Easter 

 

Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

Screen time & eating, a bad combination

Have you ever been driving your car whilst talking on the phone (with hands free of course)? And when you hang up from your friend you realise that you can't actually remember the trip home? Scary isn't it.

Well the same principles apply when you eat whilst watching tv, or working on your computer. Because you are distracted, you may not realise how much you have eaten and studies have shown that people that eat whilst watching the screen will eat more later on.

I really enjoyed an e-newsletter article from Sue Radd (APD) on this topic, so much so that I have copied and pasted it below for you to read. Just make sure it's not while you're eating.

The Perils of Snacking in front of the TV

by Sue Radd from Sue Radd's Nutrition and Wellbeing Clinic

Do you enjoy eating popcorn at the movies?  What about ice cream, cheese and crackers or a packet of chips while you’re watching the tele?  Does chocolate hit the spot during your favourite TV show?  If your answer is yes to any of these questions, you may be sabotaging your own weight loss attempts. 

We all know that snacking on calorie dense, nutrient poor foods is a bad idea for weight loss.  But is there a difference if you eat snacks in front of the TV?  Apparently so!  New research published in Applied Cognitive Psychology shows if you snack in front of the screen, you are more likely to eat a greater amount at your next meal - without knowing it! 

In this Australian study, healthy female university students of normal weight were split into two groups.  Both groups were given the same amount of snacks to eat, however one group was allowed to eat the snacks in front of the television, while the other group was not.  Interestingly, the group that ate in front of the TV ended up consuming more food later on, despite not snacking any less beforehand.

Why does it matter if you eat in front of the TV?  First, have you noticed how easy it is to just keep eating…and eating, when your attention is being occupied elsewhere?  Before you know it, that king size block of chocolate is gone!   Even if you control your portions (as was done in this study), do you really get to enjoy your food when you are focused on something else?  Can you recall every mouthful and what it tasted like?  Did it get sweeter or saltier as you went along, signaling to your body that maybe you’ve had enough?

This study shows that people who eat in front of the TV have less recollection of actually eating, let alone how much they ate!  As a result, they’re actually more likely to overeat later in the day. 

Whether it’s TV, the movies or even your work computer screen, being absent minded when eating could get you into trouble.  Remember the time you went to the movies and had a big bag of popcorn… then afterwards squeezed in a three course meal?!

Our advice:  Make a conscious decision not to eat in front of the television (or your computer) – regardless of how healthy that snack may be!  Turn off the tele at meal times, eat slowly and enjoy your food with your family or friends.  For good health, limit TV viewing time to 2 hours per day and separate it from your snacks and meals! 

Sue Radd www.sueradd.com

Why you need to eat carbs

Ok so my last couple of blogs have been a little bit longer than I would have liked so let's make this a short one. I promise I'll be quick.

I'm going to tell you 5 reasons why you need to eat carbs, and why low carb diets don't work.

1. Carbs make you happy

Who has seen the movie Bruno? Ok although I don't condone anything that went on in that movie (although it did make me laugh, and cringe, a lot) there is a scene where Bruno talks about committing 'carbicide' ie. he binges on carbs. Then when he ends up in an intimate situation with his gay friend, he blames it on the carbs, saying he had his 'carb goggles' on. Hilarious.

So what's my point? My point is that carbs do make you happy. It's scientifically proven that when you eat carbs, neurotransmitters are released which give you a warm feeling inside, ie. you feel happy!

Ever tried starving yourself of carbs? Chances are you may have felt down, depressed or moody, this is likely because you weren't getting that wonderful natural high from eating carbs. You also might have just been starving which is why you were moody.

2. Carbs are an essential source of fuel for the body. 

Carbs fuel your body like petrol does to a car. Carbs are the most important fuel source your body can get and carbs provide energy to the brain and muscles to function effectively. It's that simple.

3. Carbs keep you feeling fuller for longer

Ever had a salad for lunch and wondered why you're hungry an hour later? 

Chances are that salad may have contained plenty of healthy vegetables but no carbs.

What foods contain carbs?

• Breads, Cereals, Rice, Pasta & Noodles
• Fruit
• Starchy vegetables such as potato, sweet potato and corn
• Legumes 
• Milk, yoghurt and milk alternatives

So now think about that salad you ate and how you could increase the carb content. Maybe you could add some potato, sweet potato, corn, chickpeas, lentils or rice? Or maybe you just might have it with a slice of multigrain bread on the side?

The point is, if you don't consume some carbs at each meal, you will feel very hungry soon after, and you'll be inclined to snack on higher sugar, higher fat foods such as lollies, cakes or biscuits.  

This salad contains chickpeas which are a great way to 'carb up' a salad.
Find out what else I added here.

4. Carbs contain fibre

Fibre is essential for so many reasons. Other than keeping you regular, it has a role in reducing cholesterol and reducing your risk of certain cancers. Fibre like low GI foods also helps keep you fuller for longer. So it's for this reason we recommend having brown or multigrain bread over white bread, choosing brown rice over long grain white rice, and choosing wholemeal pasta over regular pasta. Fresh fruits and vegetables are also a fantastic source of fibre. The skins have a special type of fibre called insoluble fibre which has very special health properties, so make sure you eat the skin (when it's edible to do so). My favourite is roasted pumpkin with the skin on. Yumm. 

5. Carbs contain essential vitamins and minerals

Other than fibre, carbs contain a range of vitamins and minerals which are essential for the body every day. Some of these include your B vitamins, folate and iron. Starving yourself of carbs means you won't be getting the fibre or vitamins and minerals to get you through the day. Deficiencies in these can be dangerous, especially for groups that have higher micronutrient requirements, such as pregnant women.

Why do low carb diets not work?

Check out my post on Detox Diets. The same principles apply.

Recently I spotted some more misinformation on The Biggest Loser. The Commando prescribed a highly restrictive, low carb diet to his black team. Let's just say that his team weren't too impressed, in fact they thought the diet was more suited to a rabbit. Just like my Marsha. 

Yes, this is the love of my life, my bunny, Marsha :)

What are the best carbs to go for?

As you may be aware, some carbs are better choices than others. 

Low GI, high fibre and minimally processed carbs are your best bet. Foods such as multigrain bread, wholemeal pasta, fresh fruit and vegetables are some examples of these.

When Bruno committed carbicide, he pigged out on the complete opposite. He ate high fat, high sugar, highly processed foods such as cakes, pies, pastries and desserts. Although these contain carbs, these are not recommended to be eaten as part of a healthy diet and should be kept for special occasions only and eaten in small amounts (no bingeing!). And as Bruno found out, carbicide is a bad idea. Watch the movie to find out what happened the next morning...








Image: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

How to have a holiday without putting on weight

Those of you that know me will know that cruises are my ultimate dream holiday. To me there is nothing that says holiday like a week on a cruise ship. Think sunbaking, white sand, crystal clear water, palm trees, coconuts, tropical islands and more.

Pacific Dawn

Isle of Pines, one of the most beautiful islands I have ever come across

I've gotta give a big shout out to P&O Cruises. (No one was paid for that shout out, mind you). 

I've now been on 3 P&O Cruises, and I'd jump on board a hundred more if I could. The thing that I love most about cruises is the fact that you don't have to worry about anything from the moment you board the ship. Where you are are going, how you're going to get there, what you're going to eat... these are all taken care of. You are out of mobile phone reception most of the time as well, so that means no emails on your blackberry, no facebook, no tweeting, nothing. You are forced to have a real holiday. And it starts the moment you get on board, with a sailaway cocktail :)

It was quite funny when my girlfriends and I sat down for our first ever meal on the ship. One of the of the first things that was uttered was, "Jemma don't judge me on what I eat this week!!" 

Of course being a dietitian I am used to this, as people think that I judge them by what they eat all the time. When I tell them that I really don't, they are so suprised. See my theory is this: In my personal life, I don't give out nutrition advice unless someone asks me. To me there is nothing worse than when you are on a holiday (or otherwise) and someone is in your ear saying, "Should you really be eating that??". 

I told my friends that they didn't have to worry about what they ate. Obviously as I generally tend to practice what I preach I didn't indulge quite as much. But neverless we were on a holiday and holidays are about having fun and enjoying the amazing food that there is to offer. 

Does that mean I'm giving you permission to pig out on your next holiday? Absolutely not. Enjoying & savouring food is quite different to pigging out. Read on to find out more.

Weight maintenance and holidays... an oxymoron?

Most people would say that the words 'holiday' and 'weight' tend to form sentences with the word 'gain', not 'maintain'. Certainly holidays can be a challenging time when you are watching your weight. There are so many factors that are out of your control, such as what will be offered on the menu that night, or what options for physical activity you have available to you. Rest assured, my key message for you today is that it is possible to maintain your weight on holidays. And there are plenty of ways that you can maintain control. Lots of people place healthy eating in the too hard basket when they go on a holiday, but it's actually not that hard at all.

Failing to plan = planning to fail

Have a plan before you step onto the ship. The main key to successful holiday weight maintence is to know your limits before you are faced with challenging situations. For example, if you know that every night on the cruise there is going to be 3 amazing desserts offered to you on a silver platter, before you step onto that boat, decide on whether you will indulge in a dessert each day, or whether you really don't need to eat dessert every day and maybe you'll have it once or twice over the week when your favourite dessert such as creme brulee pops up on the menu. Or maybe seeing as fruit is one of the options you'll stick to fruit on most days.

By setting your limits and thinking about what challenging situations may arise, you'll know what your plan of attack is when you're faced with them. Not having a plan is a recipe for disaster, as peer pressure and 'living in the moment' can often lead to poor decisions being made.

Holidaying is not an excuse to get on it

My number 2 rule is to keep in mind that going on holidays is not an excuse to eat more or give up all of your healthy eating habits. 

It can be so so so easy to put on weight. Your body is designed this way as it looks at putting on weight as having 'extra baggage' just in case it gets thrown into starvation mode. It's for this reason that it's so easy to gain weight and so hard to lose it. So if you go on holidays and let all your hard work go, chances are you'll put on a lot more weight than you think, even in such small periods of time. And then the time that it will take to lose that weight again will probably be several times what it took to put it on.

Don't blame the food

In today’s day and age, 9 times out of 10 there will always be healthy options available. They sometimes may not be as easily accessible, and it may take longer to find them, but rest assured they will be there. Take the cruise for example. Every day we had the opportunity to eat from an a la carte style menu or buffet for 3 meals a day. The buffet was massive. And although there were a lot of not so healthy foods in the buffet, there was always plenty of salad, vegetables and lean meats available. I think I ate enough fish to meet my omega 3 requirement for the next 6 months. 

We often dined in the a la carte restaurant for dinner, where every night we were offered bread with dips, soups, salads, entrees, mains, desserts, after dinner treats, etc. But did we have to eat every course? No. There were many days that I didn't have a bread roll and butter, simply because I didn't need it. You could also order fruit as a dessert every day if you wished to. Generally the mains were a protein based dish with vegetables, and you could order sides of vegetables as well. So the key message here is that just because you may be dining in a buffet or a la carte restaurant with so many options available, you don't have to eat the restaurant out. Choose some meals that you really enjoy, and stick to the same principles as you would at home. For example, eating plenty of vegetables with your main meal, and if you don't eat dessert at home, you don't need to eat it every day on holidays just because it's there. 

Alcohol can sometimes be like dining with the devil

At 29kJ/gram, alcohol is the second highest 'nutrient' compared to fat when it comes to its yield of kilojoules per gram. This means that it's very easy to put on weight if you drink a lot of it.

Now although I would never advise abstinence on a holiday, the key is to watch how much you drink, and what actually is mixed into that drink that you order.

If you follow my blogs you will know how anti-soft drink I am. Try to avoid drinks that contain soft drink, for example scotch and coke or alcopops. Scotch on the rocks or scotch and soda will contain much less calories and than scotch mixed with soft drink.

The other misconception is that fruit juice based drinks are less fattening than soft drink based drinks. Although fruit juice is a healthier alternative, when you compare calories there is very little difference. The key is to watch how much you drink as it's very easy to consume a lot of kilojoules when you add mixers.

Go for clear cocktails over creamy ones

When it comes to cocktails, go for the clearer kind over creamy ones. Creamy cocktails will generally contain full fat milk, coconut milk, cream or coconut cream. These are high in the saturated artery clogging fat that is linked with heart disease. And as fat yields 37kJ/gram, creamy cocktails are often higher in calories than other cocktails. 

And if you're looking for a drink that will give you less of a hangover the next day, choose clearer drinks (eg. white wine, vodka) over coloured drinks (eg. red wine, bundy rum). Pace yourself and stay hydrated by having a non-alcoholic beverage between every drink, or as I like to say, a water between every wine. The current governement recommendation for alcohol is 2 standard drinks a day and 2 alcohol free days a week.

Start the day off well and the rest of the day will follow 

Enjoying a healthy breakfast will help you to continue that trend throughout the day. Go for a higher fibre breakfast choice, such as muesli or Weet-Bix with low fat milk. If you can only see one type of milk in a jug, chances are it's full cream. Always ask if they have low fat or soy milk available, as they often do but sometimes only provide it on request.

I combined the toasted muesli and All-Bran to make a yummy cereal

No cereal options available? It doesn't mean that you have to forfeit a healthy breakfast. Hot breakfasts can be just as good for you. Go for eggs (boiled, poached or scrambled) and plenty of vegetables, such as spinach, mushrooms, grilled tomatoes or baked beans. Make sure you have some low GI toast such as multigrain or sourdough to fuel your body with plenty of energy for the day. Avoid the fried foods like bacon, hash browns and sausages, and avoid the pastries section at all costs.

Good choice, plenty of vegetables

Poor choice, pastries are high in saturated and trans fat and overall high in calories

Be active in as many ways as you can

Now although our cruise ship had a jogging track and a gym, I'll be honest and say that I never actually used them. What I did do however (dragging the girls with me at times) was walk the stairs every day. And all of these steps add up. Don't feel that you have to take on a serious exercise routine when you are on holidays, but being active in as many ways as you can really does count and will help you burn off some of those unwanted calories.

Jogging track at sunset

Taking the stairs every day meant we were out of breath by the time we reached the deck

Be realistic, have a treat once in a while

Finally, don’t overly restrict yourself. Holidays are about enjoyment and engaging in activities with friends and family, and restricting yourself to the extreme will only result in feelings of isolation and chances are you’ll give in to your favourite foods anyway. Enjoy a treat or two over the course of your holiday, just not every day. 

Pina coladas are one of my favourite cocktails, so instead of having one of these every day I choose a special day to enjoy one, and let me add, it was in the spa, looking out into the ocean with the wind in our hair. I also bought the girls one so that we could all enjoy the moment together.

Summing up...

Weight maintenance on holidays can be challenging but it is possible. Make a plan and stick to your boundaries. Indulge in a treat or two over your holiday, and don't feel guilty about doing so! I still cherish that moment when I was sitting in the spa, drinking a pina colada and looking out into the ocean. I remember saying to my girlfriends, "Now this, is the life". That memory has not faded and gets me through tough days at work. Why was it so special? Apart from being in such amazing surroundings and company, I treated myself to something that I did not allow myself to have every day.

With holidays comes lots of eating and drinking, and often we can get lost in the moment if we don't have a plan. Although it might seem like a good idea at the time, I'd hate for you to return from your holidays a few kilos heavier and grabbing at your belling wondering where that roll came from. Remember that it is so much easier to put weight on than it is to burn it off, so don't forget how hard you've worked to get where you are.

And finally, get rid of the misconception that having a good time = eating as much bad food as you can. Pigging out on buffets and eating every course of a la carte will leave you feeling sluggish, bloated and uncomfortable, let alone the feelings of guilt that will start flooding in. Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, lean meat, low fat dairy and low GI carbs. Enjoy your food, savour the moments and create some amazing memories!

Going on holidays but not on a cruise? Check out part 2 of my series - How to have a holiday without putting on weight: Asia

Thank you P&O

The food photos in this blog were taken by myself on a P&O Cruise in January 2011. This is an true reflection of the amazing dishes on offer, although the photos do not reflect the excellent service and friendly staff that served our meals and poured our drinks. Thank you to P&O for an experience of a lifetime.