1. Identify what is causing the stress
This may be your job, it may be your social life, a habit such as eating fatty foods or even an addiction. What ever it is identify exactly what it is so you are aware of it. Once you are aware of it you can start the process of doing something about it.

2. Exercise for 20min a day
Regular non strenuous exercise is imperative for stress relief as it aids in reducing anxiety, releases toxins which can build up from stress, helps you sleep at night and gives you a happiness boost.

3. Take 10 minutes to yourself
When you are feeling stressed your body and mind is in overdrive and taking 10 minutes to relax and think about nothing is the perfect way to unwind your body/mind and recharge. You will find that you will be more productive when you do this.

4. Supplements

When the body is dealing with stress on a regular basis certain nutrients are being depleted and must be topped up on a regular basis so the body doesn’t experience fatigue or exhaustion. Nutrients such as B Group Vitamins, Zinc, Protein, Magnesium and Green Powders (ie. Spirulina, Chlorella) are important for stress management.

B Group Vitamins are important for nervous system function and energy production.

Zinc helps in the maintenance of body tissue and immune system function.

Magnesium is an anti-stress mineral as it relaxes the skeletal muscles.

Protein in the form of enzymes, hormones and antibodies promote healthy metabolic and physiological processes, and boost our nervous and immunity systems.

Green Powers are great for those who are not getting enough protein, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fibre, carotenoids and natural plant pigments in their diet.

5. Get enough sleep
Make sure you getting 8 hours of sleep each night. Adequate sleep is important as it enables the body to rest and recharge from the day before.

6. Vegetables
Eat 5-7 serves of vegetables a day whether that is in a form of juice, raw or blended in a meal. Vegetables give your body much needed vitamins and minerals which give you energy and help you cope with stress better.

7. Reduce intake of Caffeine
Drinking too much coffee causes additional stress by raising your heart rate, putting pressure on the kidneys and liver as well as the nervous system.

Drinking several caffeinated drinks a day can have detrimental effects on someone who is already stressed. It can cause sleeplessness, insomnia, nervous system damage, anxiety, irritability, depressed mood, and difficulty concentrating. If your drinking these drinks on a regular basis and experiencing these symptoms its recommended that you reduce your intake by at least half.

For more healthy eating advice visit www.healthyeatingaustralia.com

1. How do you feel? 
If your craving food have a look at how you feel day to day. Are you tired when you wake in the morning? Do you feel lethargic during the day and have no motivation? Do you frequently feel like your mind is clouded? Are you having weight control issues? Cravings are sometimes a great tool to show you that a change is needed to feel a whole lot better.

2. Understanding hunger
Hunger comes about when your body is requesting to be refilled with marco (wholegrains, protein, good fats) and micro nutrients (vitamins and minerals) to keep your body working at optimal levels during the day. Its not to fill up with dead foods such as a chocolate bar or a hamburger. The body needs nutrients to keep your immune system strong, cleanse your blood, repair and rebuild cells and detox your body.

3. Take control and say “NO”
When you experience a craving take control of your body and say “NO”! That food your craving is likely to cause your body harm and make you feel horrible afterwards.

Let me ask you something – when you give into those cravings in the hope that it will go away (once you have eaten that  bag of chips) does it stay away? No, it comes back again and again and again wanting more!

By saying no and taking a stand its a great boost for your confidence and you will feel better in the long run.

4. Choose the healthier option
We all have a choice in what foods we put into our mouth so go for the healthier option. A healthier option will give you energy vs. take it away. It will give you motivation vs. feeling unmotivated. You will feel more awake vs. lethargic and you will have a strong immune system vs. getting the cold & flu on a regular basis. There are so many benefits for eating healthy that the list goes on and on…

5. Its not forever
Cravings don’t last forever, they go away after a short while. When you stop feeding something like a craving it eventually gives up trying.

It is involved in almost every function such as:

• Circulation
• Digestion
• Absorption
• Elimination of waste

Urinary system

This body system filters the fluid in your body and consists of two kidneys, two ureters, one urinary bladder and one urethra.

Its primary function is to:

• Regulate blood ionic composition
• Regulate blood pH
• Regulate blood volume
• Regulate blood pressure
• Maintain blood osmolarity
• Produce hormones
• Regulate blood glucose levels
• Excrete wastes and foreign substances

Dehydration

Dehydration is common amongst our society and symptoms of dehydration are seen as normal such as increased heart rate, decreased urination, increased body temperature, tingling of the limbs, extreme fatigue, muscle cramps, nausea, headaches, stomach cramps and mental alertness.

Did you know that the body cannot survive more than 1-2 weeks without water? Dehydration is a silent killer and is more common than most realise. Continuous dehydration can lead to kidney stones, urinary tract infections, glomerular disease, renal failure and urinary bladder cancer.

Daily requirement

The average human requires 2 litres of water a day. Other factors to take into consideration are body temperature, weight, exercise etc… which will require more.

Water is best drunk upon waking (1-2 glasses) and consumed in intervals throughout the day. When it comes to meal times its best to drink 15 minutes prior to eating and 30 minutes to an hour after. The reason for this is that water dilutes the digestive juices which can reduce the assimilation and absorption of food, causing bloating and stomach pain.

Benefits of water

• Helps maintain healthy skin
• Burns more fat and builds more muscle
• Will assist with flushing out toxins
• Aids in proper digestion and absorption of nutrients
• Reduces your risk of disease and infection
• Helps prevent fatigue
• Cushions and lubricates your joints and muscles
• Reenergises your body so you feel awake and alert
• Reduces your risk of a heart attack
• Promotes regular bowel movements
• Regulates your body temperature 

How to increase your fluid intake

• Keep a bottle of water in your bag for when you are out and about
• Replace caffeinated drinks with lemon in hot water, this is alkalising for the body
• Drink green smoothies, these are hydrating and are full of nutrients
• Drink fresh fruit and vegetable juices
• Keep a jug of water on your desk and drink from it regularly
• Avoid soda and caffeinated drinks, these are dehydrating
• Eat more water based foods such as fruits and vegetables

Interesting facts about water

Avoid tap water and drink filtered water or alkaline water. Alkaline water is the highest quality water as it is remineralised and most of the nasties have been removed.

Coffee, tea, soda’s and alcohol are extremely dehydrating to the body. They are classified as diuretics which slow renal reabsorption of water causing an elevated urine flow rate which reduces blood volume.  In a nutshell 1 cup of coffee takes 6 cups of water from the body.

Excess caffeine depletes the stored energy in the brain and body causing attention defects and chronic fatigue. Caffeine also overrides the body to liberate energy even when it doesn’t want to and this eventually exhausts the heart muscle from overstimulation.

A dry mouth is the last sign of dehydration.

Nerves are tiny waterways and when they dry up they fill with toxins which can cause a mix up of signals to the brain leading to pain in areas of the body that doesn’t exist.

The brain is 70% water and when dehydrated this is the main cause of headaches. Once water requirements to the brain are no longer met the energy generation in the brain decreases causing depression, chronic fatigue, fear, anxiety and insecurity.

Many hunger pains are confused with dehydration pains – it’s the body crying out for water.

When the body is dehydrated it will not allow the acidic food contents of the stomach to come into contact with the delicate intestinal walls. For this reason the strength of contraction on either side of the stomach reverses which can cause heartburn, nausea and vomiting.

When there is a shortage of water, some cells in the body have to go without and some will get a predetermined rationed amount to help maintain their function. This can cause some of the cells of these organs gradual damage from increased dehydration over long periods of time.

If you have drunk little water for some time its best to increase your water intake slowly, instead of all at once, as this can put pressure on the kidneys initially.

They are the best source of energy for athletes and high energy people because they provide immediate and time released energy. Carbohydrates are easily digested and are then consistently metabolised in the blood stream.

Carbohydrates are needed to regulate protein and fat metabolism. Together with the proteins and fats, the carbohydrates help fight infections, promote growth of the body tissues such as bones and skin and lubricate the joints.

Wholegrains (brown)

Wholegrains contain nutrients essential for human development, they increase vitality and aid in the prevention of disease. The grain itself contains the wheat germ and bran which are high in fibre, vitamins and minerals. Fibre aids in regular elimination of waste materials and absorption of toxins which prevents colon diseases and cancers.

When prepared properly, they satisfy hunger and taste, provide energy and endurance, calm nerves, encourage deep sleep, promote elimination, quick reflexes, long memory and clear thinking.

Refined Grains (white)

Refined grains are your white pastas, breads, biscuits and cereals. They have been so highly refined that they contain no nutritional benefit whatsoever – no fibre, no vitamins, no minerals. They are highly acidic for the body, only provide short term energy and are much higher in starch. Many products have synthetic fibre and nutrients re added after processing, but this isn’t enough and is really only so it can be sold as food vs. glue.

A person who eats a diet predominately high in refined foods will:

• Feel hungry soon after
• Gain weight due to the high amounts of sugar not utilised by the body
• Experience sugar cravings because their body is depleted of vital nutrients.
• Be more inclined to eating larger portions which is caused by the body crying out for nutritious food.
• Have abnormal stretching of the stomach due to eating larger portions
• Experience palette changes where fruits and vegetables begin to taste bland
• Be more prone to: obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular problems, tooth decay and diseases

Did you know that rats will not eat refined white bread? A test was conducted on everyday house hold rats to see what their preference was between a sprouted grain piece of bread and a refined white piece of bread. Lo and behold, they ate the sprouted grain bread and left the white bread in one piece! Rats will eat anything but they know better than to eat white bread.

Gluten

Gluten is a tough elastic protein found in wheat, rye and barley. Oats also contain gluten but do not seem to cause the same problems with gluten intolerance. It’s common to find people who have sensitivities or intolerances to gluten.

Symptoms of gluten intolerance include:

• Diarrhoea
• Abdominal pain
• Flatulence
• Weight loss
• Anaemia
• Muscle cramps and spasm.

The villi of the small intestine can become destroyed, impairing the assimilation of nutrients from all foods.

Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disease which means the body mistakenly produces antibodies that damage its own tissue. Those with Coeliac disease have a permanent intestinal intolerance to gluten.

Gluten Free Grains

Quinoa
Amaranth
Rice
Corn
Millet
Buckwheat

Gluten Containing Grains:

Barley
Rye
Wheat
Spelt
Oats – inherently gluten-free, but are frequently contaminated with wheat during growing or processing

Chewing

It’s important to chew grains thoroughly because they will not digest effectively without a thorough mixture of saliva. The action of saliva is necessary to trigger reactions that occur further along the digestive tract. Saliva is alkaline and promotes an alkaline result from the grain vs. acidic.

Digestion

Digestion begins in the mouth and an enzyme called ptyalin assists in the breaking down of the carbohydrate.

Carbohydrates do not digest in the stomach; they instead pass directly into the duodenum. The pancreas produces large amounts of an enzyme amylase, an alkaline substance that aids in neutralising the acid that came from the stomach.

The amylase enzyme breaks down complex sugars into simpler sugars. Even more amylase enzymes are produced within the cells that line part of the upper intestine and this breaks down simple sugars into the simplest kind, monosaccharide’s which then can be easily absorbed and readily utilised by the body such as for energy so it can perform its daily activities.

How to select wholegrain foods:

• Cereals: look for cereals like muesli and oats. Go for wholegrain and gluten free options.
• Biscuits: choose biscuits made from rice, rye, oats and wholegrains, such as rice cakes, rye biscuits and wholegrain crackers
• Breads: select wholemeal, gluten free and sprouted grain breads
• Wraps: there are a variety of wraps which are made from oats, rye, rice and which are gluten free and contain wholegrain.

Pasta: choose pasta that is made from rice, corn and wholemeal. There are many gluten free options available too

Forget the word “diet”, it’s an evil word because it sets you up to fail. Those who successfully diet tend to put the weight back on because a diet isn’t a lifestyle change, it’s just quick fix.

Weight gain is mainly contributed by poor eating habits which happen over a long term period and the most effective way to lose weight is to change your eating habits.

Below are 10 ways to begin changing those habits:

Get up and move: exercise is the key to weight loss as it quickens your metabolism, reduces the amount of fat being added to your waistline and increases your energy levels.

Switch to naturally derived sugar: refined sugar feeds your waistline so look for alternatives such as dried fruit, dark chocolate, fruit, using raw sugar in cooking, reduced sugar biscuits etc… The less refined sugar you eat the less weight you will gain.

Switch to gluten free and wholegrain carbohydrates: refined carbohydrates such as white bread, cereals, pastas and biscuits have no nutritional value, give you a quick sugar rush, leave you wanting more and they go straight to the hips! Look for gluten free and wholegrain alternatives which are nourishing, more satisfying and have longer lasting energy.

Keep treats as treats: Treats such as lollies, fatty foods, muffins, sugary biscuits and take away foods are meant for special occasions, not being the main part of your diet. When you eat them all the time you lose the excitement of looking forward to having a treat! Having too many in your diet also causes you to feel tired, lethargic, unmotivated and unproductive.

Eat mindfully: when you eat something take your time and enjoy it. It’s important to be present. When you are not present over consumption can occur which leaves you feeling overfull and bloated.

Emotional eating: When you want to do this STOP and THINK about what has caused you to feel this way. Food will not fill this void it will only make you feel worse and contribute to your waistline. If you still feel the need then emotional eat then eat healthy snacks, they’ll at least make you feel better!

Cravings: when you get intense cravings for foods this is your body telling you its craving nutrients and is in desperate need for them. When your body has the right amount of nutrition it doesn’t experience intense craving, only a nutrient deficient body will have this.

Portion Size: clasp both your hands together… this is the size of your stomach and how much food you should be putting into it so it has enough room to effectively carry out digestion. Eating huge portion sizes distend the stomach and puts strain on your body. The best way to combat this so your not hungry all the time is to have several small meals a day vs. 3 large meals.

Quality of food: When you eat foods which are nutrient dense you don’t eat as much, this is because your body is satisfied and nourished. For those who begin to eat nutrient dense foods for the first time this can take a short while but eventually you won’t need as much food as before because your giving your body everything it needs.

What Deprivation really is: did you know that deprivation is actually eating a diet high in sugar, fat and refined carbohydrates? Those foods actually deprive your body of vital nutrients! When you are deprived of vital nutrients you feel awful inside – your tired, lethargic, unmotivated, unproductive and have increased weight gain. Unhealthy foods such as these are not meant to be eaten by human beings. Many think not eating those things will cause you to feel deprived, but it’s actually the opposite.

WHY A COLD COMES ABOUT

The main reason a cold develops is due to your immune system not being strong enough. It is NOT because you just were unlucky to “catch it” from someone. Your immune system’s job is to find, destroy and remove bacteria, fungi, viruses and toxins that enter the body on an ongoing basis which is done by the thousands of white blood cells in your body.

A weakened immune system can come about from taking prescription medicines, eating too many acidic/dead foods, recent surgery, various chronic diseases and general lack of vital nutrition.

YOUR BODY IS A SELF HEALER

When your immune system is weak, bacteria, fungi, viruses and toxins aren’t being destroyed quickly enough due to lacking in white blood cells which means they can easily multiply. Your body is able to self heal under normal circumstances and when it’s expressing cold like symptoms it’s trying its best to get you back to health and maintain balance/homeostasis. It does this by generating symptoms in your body such as:

Runny nose: this is a way to transport excess mucus build up in the body and used to encapsulate virus cells so they can be removed from the body.

Fever: is a way to kill off a bunch of virus cells at once as it heats up body to an extent that the virus cells cannot survive.

Swollen throat: generally this is from swelling of lymph nodes which is part of the Lymphatic system (our garbage transport system) and when the body is sick it’s carrying more garbage than usual which is excreted out of your body.

Sore kidneys: these working over time as well to filter and excrete the excess waste (ie. dead virus cells).

STEPS IN GETTING RID OF A COLD

Taking all this into consideration being and eating healthy on a regular basis vs. a quick fix will put a stop to the yearly cold all together as the immune system will be strong and able to destroy any viruses before they can get a foot hold and cause the body to create symptoms so it can remove it from your system.

The below 8 tips are proven to be the most useful in getting rid of a cold:

Water: Increase your daily intake of water to 2-3L a day which will help hydrate and flush the body out. A useful tip is sipping hot water is a great way to break down phlegm.

Reduce your intake of meat, refined, and fatty foods: These foods are acid forming and work against your immune system. Meat also uses a large amount of energy to break down and the body needs all the energy it can get right now.

Drink vegetable soups, juice and green smoothies: vegetables and greens boost your immunity as well as giving you an infusion of vitamins and minerals which your body needs to produce energy which it uses to fight off infection.

Sunlight & Fresh Air: sitting outside in the fresh air under the sun for 15-20min has many benefits such as improving the function of your liver which helps to break down the excess toxins and waste from the cold; improving digestion, elimination and metabolism; encouraging circulation and boosting your mood.

Vitamin C: this has a powerful effect on the immune system and acts as an antihistamine which will reduce inflammation, a blocked nose and soreness in the body

Eat simple: As the body is focused on repairing its ideal to eat simple foods which are easy to digest and breakdown as the more complex and harder to digest means the more energy is required.

Be kind to yourself: When you’re sick you’re also likely to feel quite emotional so being kind to yourself by the words you use, let go of any worries you have and the to do list – when you’re ill you’re not going to be productive so let it go and focus on healing yourself first.

Get enough sleep: As your body is working over time it’s vital to get extra sleep so it can recharge itself properly. Sleeping 9 hrs plus is ideal.

If you would like some help with implementing a healthy eating plan that works for you specific to your needs then you may be interested in having a consultation with our Nutrition Expert. Email Louise for more information at: louise@healthyeatingaustralia.com

Did you know that 60%+ of Australians are overweight or obese and that the main cause of death is cardiovascular disease? There appears to be a correlation between the increase in refined, fried and fatty foods and the rise in weight gain.

What is healthy eating?

Healthy eating is eating foods which infuse the digestive system with nutrients which are used to rebuild and repair tissue as well as give the body an abundance of energy. For the digestive system to work at optimal levels it needs to be able to secrete, digest, absorb and defecate regularly.

Foods which are ideal for the digestive system are foods which haven’t been tampered with and are still alive! Our body is alive, therefore we need to eat alive foods such as leafy greens, vegetables and fruits, as well as nuts, seeds, legumes and wholegrains. These foods are cleansing, nutrient-rich and give us the most energy.

What isn’t healthy eating?

Eating foods which are highly processed, refined (wheat and sugar), fatty and fried, tampered with etc… are not good for us in large doses. The body is pretty powerful and strong so it can handle small amounts of acidic foods such as these, but in large doses on a regular basis can have detrimental effects.

When the body’s requirements aren’t being met or the digestive processes aren’t working properly, this is met with poor performance which can lead to sickness, then to disease and ultimately cancer.

If you’re lacking in energy and your body is feeling sluggish then it’s telling you it needs more nutrients.

If you would like some help with implementing a healthy eating plan that works for you specific to your needs then you may be interested in having a consultation with our Nutrition Expert. Email Louise for more information at: louise@healthyeatingaustralia.com

Two: Eating a minimum of 2 serves of fruit: this is the minimum daily intake, fruit is high in fibre, contains water soluble nutrients and has a cleansing effect on your bowel.

Three: Eat good oils high in Omega 3: such as avocados, flax seed oil, fish oil. All of which are great for your heart, skin and joints.

Four: Have a few meat free days a week: excess meat in the diet is highly acidic for the body and takes a lot of energy to break down – giving your body a rest a few times a week gives the body time to balance out the acidity.

Five: Reduce your intake of gluten containing foods by 50%: gluten has a glue like effect on the digestive system and is very harsh and difficult to digest.

Six: Reduce your intake of refined sugar: by 50% as refined sugar is very toxic to your body and assists with weight gain.

Seven: Reduce your intake of fried & fatty foods: by 50% as fried and fatty foods increase your risk of cardiovascular disease, cause disturbances within the digestive tract and assist with weight gain.

Eight: Drink 2 litres of water a day: which helps you stay hydrated, energised and assists with digestion of food.

Nine: Not drink whilst eating: as this dilutes the digestive juices – best to wait 30-45min after large meals.

Ten: Try alternatives to cows milk: cows milk can be very mucus forming and hard to digest, so mixing it up a little by using other milks such as rice, oat, almond, goat etc… will reduce the build up of mucus.

If you would like some help with implementing a healthy eating plan that works for you specific to your needs then you may be interested in having a consultation with our Nutrition Expert. Email Louise for more information at: louise@healthyeatingaustralia.com

Ideal weight: when the body isn’t being filled up with dead foods it can begin to release the excess fat in its adipose tissue which can build up when too much refined sugar, bad fats and refined carbohydrates are consumed.

Clear mind: That cloudiness you may be experiencing disappears completely. You can think more clearly and make better decisions because your brain is finally operating at the level it’s meant to be on.

Productivity: Generally people who are healthier become more productive because they aren’t tired, lowly and cloudy in the mind, they are alive again and want to do more.

Awake: Do you wake up tired each morning and by 3pm you’re reaching for another coffee? Eating lots of dead foods makes you tired because they have no energy in them. Healthy foods are full of nutrients which turn into energy and keep you awake.

Happiness: Dead foods are acidic and have a toxic effect on the body which can cause deformity in our cells, cause havoc on our hormones and leave us feeling pretty miserable and out of sorts. Eating alive foods reverses these effects and helps you feel happy again.

Feeling better about yourself: How happy are you really when you’re tired all the time, cloudy minded, unmotivated, feeling low and sick on a regular basis? Not very… When you lead a healthier lifestyle you feel FANTASTIC and ALIVE again.

Strong immunity: Eating alive nutritious foods keeps your immune system strong which means your internal army (white blood cells) are able to destroy viruses, bacteria, fungi and stop infections from occurring.

Live a long healthy life: Many fear living out the last years of their life attached to a machine or bedbound in pain. You have a choice to live a long healthy life and dying of “old age” would certainly be a better way to go.

If you would like some help with implementing a healthy eating plan that works for you specific to your needs then you may be interested in having a consultation with our Nutrition Expert. Email Louise for more information at: louise@healthyeatingaustralia.com

If you eat on the run the below 5 tips will be useful for you:

One: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! It’s a time where you body requires nutrients to start your day off and up until lunchtime the body is doing a clean out of the day before. So choose cleaning foods such as muslie and fruit which you can buy from the local deli or cafe.

Two: Eating snack foods such as chocolate bars, muffins and pastries are the sneaky ones which can cause weight gain as they are full of refined sugar and if your sitting down all day in an office that sugar isn’t being used by the body so it gets stored in fat cells. Eat a piece of fruit, pack celery & carrot sticks, or a muslie bar (I recommend the “Carmens” range) as an alternative. Your body will thank you for it!

Three: Instead of eating a hamburger with fries or pasta which is going to sit in your stomach and put you to sleep after lunch go for a salad, soup, sushi or a pita bread wrap with salad. There are many fast food outlets now that supply these lunch options. These foods are energising and will put a stop to the 3.30itis attacks.

Four: When you feel tired instead of ordering another coffee to keep you awake why not try a fresh made juice? There are many juice bars and café’s that do freshly squeezed vegetable and fruit juices which will give you a boost in energy which is just as affective as coffee.

Five: When dining out most restaurants offer gluten free, vegetarian or vegan options plus add on’s which you can share with others such as a side dish of vegetables or a small salad.

If your in Perth, WA and would like some help with implementing a healthy eating plan that works for you specific to your needs then you may be interested in having a consultation with our resident Nutritionist who comes to you. Enquire at: www.healthyeatingaustralia.com/services.html