Low On Energy? Try These Three Simple Strategies

Poor energy is a common complaint even from those getting ample sleep. Chatting to your doctor is a good place to start if you have ongoing concerns with fatigue. Whilst there are many non-food related causes worth exploring such as vitamin deficiencies, simple dietary habits can also play a significant role. Here are three habits targeting hydration and glucose stabilisation to help lift you from your daytime slump.  

1.     Drink two glasses of water within 30 minutes of waking

A high percentage of adults going about their daily tasks are doing so whilst mildly dehydrated. That’s because we lose fluid during sleep, and thirst is a poor indicator of hydration. Even as a dietitian I learnt this the hard way as for years my only fluids prior to lunch were tea and coffee. Sure, I was reaching 1.5 to 2 litres by days end, but by then it was too late to effectively hydrate my body. Timing of your water intake is just as influential as volume. Morning is the most important if you want to stay properly hydrated for the entire day.

For those experiencing fatigue, improving hydration is an obvious place to start. But doing so effectively requires you to be on it from the moment you wake. Starting your day with two glasses of water will quickly get you hydrated and will make it far easier to stay hydrated across the day. Achieving 2 litres by days end will be ample for most.

2.     Snack regularly on carbs + protein

Steady glucose levels are the key for steady levels of energy. But that’s far easier said than done. Effective snacking is a habit often overlooked, especially by those rushing from one task to the next. Investing time to stop and snack will often result in far better energy levels, and productivity!

 Which snack foods are best for energy? Those with a combination of protein and carbohydrate. Glucose (from carbohydrate) is our body’s primary fuel source, which when ingested with protein ensures a steady and prolonged release into our bloodstream. The way our body and brain prefer it.

Examples of healthy protein + carbohydrate snacks:

·      Whole fruit with raw or dry roasted nuts

·      Natural yoghurt with whole fruit

·      Wholegrain crackers with peanut butter or cottage cheese

·      Fruit smoothie (e.g., berries, yoghurt & milk)

How often should you snack? Whilst there is no perfect formula, start with one snack between breakfast and lunch, and two between lunch and dinner. Experience has taught me this works best for most individuals. 

3.     Eat a wholesome breakfast

No meal impacts energy levels more than breakfast, for better or worse. Getting it wrong can lead to prolonged periods of lethargy following a quick release of glucose. Yet getting it right can set you up beautifully for an energy filled morning and afternoon.

Foods causing a rapid release of glucose into the blood stream is exactly the thing to avoid at breakfast. That is, refined grains (devoid of fibre) and simple sugars. Unfortunately, this describes approximately 80% of breakfast cereals lining supermarket shelves.

What should you eat at breakfast? Like healthy snacks, foods providing a combination of carbohydrate and protein or dietary fibre. This results in a prolonged, more gradual, release of glucose. This is the perfect formula for steady energy levels throughout the day.

Examples of wholesome breakfast options:

·      High fibre (& low sugar) breakfast cereals e.g., Rolled oats, Weet-Bix, All bran or Wheaties

·      High fibre bread with protein on top e.g., eggs or nut spread

·      Breakfast smoothie with ingredients such as fruit, seeds, rolled oats & natural yoghurt

If you are rushing out the door and looking for a grab and go option, fruit with a handful of nuts is ideal. Follow this up with a healthy snack an hour or two later.

For those with a vitamin deficiency it may be necessary to take a dietary supplement through consultation with your doctor. However, for many people simply improving hydration and glucose stability will have an obvious effect within days!

Article written by David Finnin

David Finnin is an Adelaide Dietitian & Nutritionist with 10+ years experience providing personalised advice for weight management, food intolerance and chronic illness

Is ‘Might As Well’ Effect Keeping You Stuck?

“I’ve broken my diet, I might as well gorge myself on junk food now!”. Most people with a history of following diets understand this impulse well. It stems from an all or nothing view of eating that says if I can’t stick to the plan/diet/program perfectly, then I’ve failed. If you can identify with it, don’t worry you’re certainly not alone. This impulse has been scientifically proven to affect most people on a diet. But learning how to adjust your mindset in these situations, will allow you to move on from mistakes without losing momentum. This is one of the fundamentals to long-term success.

The ’Might As Well’ Effect In Action

Researchers, keen to explore this impulsive attitude, designed an experiment under
the guise of a taste-testing study. As part of this, they asked participants to drink milkshakes. They observed that the more volume dieters consumed in this taste test, the more ice cream they consumed when they were subsequently left in a room and told they were free to eat as much as they wanted. This is the ‘might as well’ effect in action. When non-dieters were placed in the same situation, the opposite occurred. Over the years working as a dietitian, I’ve had countless conversations with clients who have experienced a very similar thing in real life. Ultimately it’s the very thing keeping them stuck.

Whilst it might seem like strange behaviour, it makes sense once you realise the belief system behind it. That is, breaking my diet means I’ve failed today/this week/this attempt. I’ll start again tomorrow, or next week, or next year! The bigger the indiscretion, the more likely it is to occur. Can you relate to this? Breaking this cycle requires you to dismantle a belief system that equates mistakes to failure.

The Willpower Myth

Whilst lamenting your latest failure, how often have you thought to yourself, “If only I had more willpower!?” As if this is your problem. It’s ironic that most people who say this of themselves often have a history of dedicating months to following strict eating regimes, to the letter, before finally caving. This fact alone suggests that a deficiency in willpower is not the problem. If it were, there would be little chance someone could stick to something so restrictive for longer than a few days, let alone many weeks.

In nearly every case, failure has nothing to do with willpower. The real issue is a belief system that is setting people up to fail. The answer then, involves redefining what success looks like. And the good news is this: a healthy diet doesn’t require you to eat perfectly, all of the time. Mistakes are normal, expected, unavoidable and an important part of change and growth.

How To Move On Quickly From Lapses

If “might as well” effect plagues your diet, a change in attitude towards slip-ups is needed. Instead of seeing mistakes as failure and going down the path of might as well thinking, start by giving yourself permission to stuff up from time to time. With a few simple conditions in place. These conditions are that you learn from the slip-up and move on quickly. One slip-up has not ruined the day, nor the whole week. There is no need to start again tomorrow, or on Monday. There is no need to start again at all.

I often tell clients who feel disheartened by a poor dietary choice that they are allowed to feel as bad/evil as they possibly can, but only for five minutes. After five minutes, it’s time to move on as if nothing has happened. Once you have learned from the mistake, it is pointless holding onto it and berating yourself. It’s never a nice feeling when someone digs up errors and reminds you when you have already apologised. Why should you do it to yourself with the occasional poor dietary choice?

Being selectively forgetful is another concept I discuss with clients. Too often, the first thing clients tell me as a dietitian is all the regretful choices they have made since their last appointment. They recount each error in detail. Asking the same person to describe some of the good decisions they made is a little like pulling teeth.

Whilst it won’t come naturally, you need to learn to selectively forget. And believe it or not, with practice, forgetting becomes much easier! Doing this will allow you to stop dwelling on minor indiscretions, and instead celebrate the gradual improvements on your journey. With a new attitude towards mistakes, it will be a much freer journey.

For those wishing to further explore the relationship between mindset and eating, I’ve started a podcast where I delve into this more. So often it’s mindset that keeps people stuck, rather than any lack of nutritional knowledge.

You can listen to it here!

Article written by David Finnin, Adelaide Dietitian and Nutritionist

Struggle with Comfort Eating? Try These Three Steps

Food is eaten for many reasons, as it fulfils several purposes. Providing a momentary escape from unwanted emotions is one of these. Unfortunately, in these moments, carrot sticks, apples and raw almonds are not what we typically crave. Rather it’s sweet, processed, and highly calorific foods. Stress can lead to large amounts being consumed in very little time, leading to disappointment, regret, and a feeling of being out of control. But with practice, you can quickly regain control over stress and comfort eating. Following are three simple steps to follow, the next time stress has you raiding the fridge or pantry.

Step One: Acknowledgement

It’s crucial to be aware of when stress or emotion is triggering a food craving, at the very moment it’s happening. An urge to comfort eat is nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, it’s completely normal for our brain to look for distractions and outlets to deal with emotional discomfort. Food is being used for this very reason, only it doesn’t do a very good job as a stress reliever, over the long run. As soon as a trigger to eat happens, take a step back and acknowledge, without judgement, why you feel this way. Bring self-aware is the first step to achieving mindfulness, which is ultimately the cure for comfort eating.

Step Two: Buy Yourself Time

Take a deep breath and try to slow the situation down. When we are stressed and emotional, our decisions and actions tend to speed up. Once you have acknowledged a desire to eat that’s being triggered by stress, buying yourself five minutes can be a game-changer. Look at the clock and commit yourself to filling the next five minutes with something other than eating. Examples are listening to music, getting some fresh air, doing intentional deep breathing, or even calling a friend. Try to do things that will reduce stress, rather than contribute to it.

It's important that these five minutes are intentional. The idea is not to distract yourself, or to pretend you don’t crave food. It’s not even to try and rid yourself of the craving. The only purpose is to slow the situation down and buy yourself time. With practice, these five minutes will begin teaching your brain to deal with stress naturally, without the need for food or other such outlets.

Step Three: Make a Mindful Choice

After five minutes, honestly evaluate your craving. Don’t rush into eating without first understanding exactly what it is you feel like. Perhaps at this point, you have realised that simply taking in some deep breaths, or getting fresh air, has given you ample relief. With more practice, this will happen more and more.

But sometimes chocolate will still be on your brain. Step three is about mindfully eating according to your specific craving.

If it’s chocolate you crave, have some. But with a few conditions in place. Firstly, commit to eating it mindfully. Sit down and consciously focus on one mouthful at a time, extracting as much enjoyment possible from each bite. Secondly, stop when you feel satisfied. Continue asking yourself if you still feel like eating, or whether you can happily stop with the knowledge you can enjoy more later. Thirdly, don’t riddle yourself with guilt. Once the moment passes, refuse to carry around guilt and regret. What’s happened has happened, and it’s time to get on with your day in a positive way.

For those with a long history of over-eating and guilt, again using five minutes can be useful. Only this time allow yourself to feel as guilty and evil as you please, but only for five minutes. Once ended, move on like it never happened. There is no need to further punish yourself or make up for what happened by restricting intake today or tomorrow. Again, this will take practice, but I assure you it will be worth it in the long run.

If you continue to feel overwhelmed by comfort eating, and crave more control overeating and healthy habits, please reach out for help. As a dietitian based in Adelaide, I’ve helped many clients successfully navigate these problems over the years. No two people are the same and understanding your unique circumstances and food triggers is the first step to applying the right strategies for you.

Article written by David Finnin, Adelaide Dietitian and Nutritionist

Attending a consultation? Here’s what to expect…

If you have an upcoming appointment or considering booking one either via telehealth or at one of our locations in Adelaide, this article provides a clearer picture of what to expect. Many people do feel uneasy at the thought of sharing personal information with a stranger, and understandably so. Conversations about eating habits (& struggles), weight related matters or digestive problems can be uncomfortable. Especially if you feel you may be judged or made to feel silly. This article will hopefully allay some of these fears before you attend.

Firstly, it’s good be clear on our (the dietitians) role. That is, to support you with your health and lifestyle goals. This may sound cliché, but it helps establish the basis of relationship between client and dietitian. Simply put, you’re in the driver’s seat and it’s our job to listen not judge. We want to understand your story, including your goals (however big or small!). Perhaps your goal is to enjoy life without pain and bloating. Or maybe it’s to finally lose weight and keep it off for good. Helping you achieve goals is our primary purpose.

During an initial consultation, relevant information about your eating habits, health status, symptoms and personal goals are discussed. This is a friendly conversation to understand you better, which develops a suggested path forward. You will feel respected not judged, and never spoked down to. Measurements, such as body weight, waist circumference, height or body fat percentage are taken only with your permission, and when relevant. You will not be pressured should this make you feel uncomfortable.

With a clearer idea of your background, and personal goals, it’s time to discuss plans and strategies. This is done collaboratively, taking into account your food preferences and unique lifestyle demands. In most situations, you will be provided with an eating plan to help you get started. There is no “one size fits all” therefore plans and suggestions are always tailored. Personalised eating plans are provided at no extra cost. It’s important to point out that we don’t always have the perfect answer to every situation. This is especially true in terms of weight management, and food intolerances/sensitivities, as both areas are complex and involve many factors. Trial and error is often necessary, but we will be clear and upfront when this is the case.

We also understand that knowing what to eat is just the beginning. Changing habits and developing a new lifestyle offers many mindset-based challenges. Common examples are stress/emotional eating, overcoming cravings and dealing with slip-ups and plateaus. As dietitians our role is to help support you through these challenges, and over time have come to learn strategies that have worked for others.

Ongoing appointments will be suggested, when necessary, with timing and frequency flexible. Again, you are in the driver’s seat and our role is to provide the support you need. Often a review appointment after two weeks is helpful in assessing the effectiveness of your plan and receiving feedback on what is or isn’t going well. Long-term results are always the goal; therefore, we are constantly reviewing the sustainability of your plan.

Finally, if you hold concerns not addressed in this article, please feel free to call and discuss this with us at any time. I look forward to providing sound support as you work towards your goals!

Article written by David Finnin. Adelaide Dietitian & Nutritionist

Intermittent fasting and weight loss: What does the science say?

For centuries fasting has been the cultural norm for people all around the world. The purpose for which has varied from health benefits to religious or spiritual practices. Dr Michael Mosely was the modern-day catalyst for the immensely popular intermittent fasting, also known as time restricted feeding. The most common form of which involves fasting for 16 hours a day and restricting food to just 8 hours. Weight loss and metabolic health are just some of the reported benefits of intermittent fasting. But what does the science really say, and how does it compare to the long list of alternative diets making similar claims?

As a dietitian helping individuals achieve their weight loss goals, intermittent fasting is a commonly discussed topic. Particularly regarding its effectiveness as a strategy to lose weight. In short, intermittent fasting is indeed a legitimate approach to losing weight, as many people have testified. But the real question remains… are weight loss results better when compared to other popular diets? To answer this, a review of scientific literature was conducted in 2019 involving 11 randomized control trials that compared intermittent fasting to calorie-controlled diets. It found that intermittent fasting offered no significantly better results in terms of weight loss. Randomised control trials are considered the gold standard of science, meaning this conclusion is very telling.

But before we throw cold water on intermittent fasting completely, research does indicate the potential role fasting plays at cellular level, independent of weight loss. The relationship between immune system strength and longer-term fasting has been established for some time. Studies have even investigated at the role of fasting to support those undergoing chemotherapy, with fascinating outcomes. More specifically, intermittent fasting such as the 16/8 approach, appears to play a deeper role in cellular expression with significant implications for metabolic health. Improved insulin sensitivity and blood lipids are just two examples of this.

What about fasting in terms of my personal observations? Whilst I have never committed to fasting myself, as a dietitian based on Adelaide, I’ve observed longer term outcomes of many who have. And for some it’s worked very well. Yet for other clients we have achieved far better results turning our attention away from intermittent fasting to a more frequent meal pattern. This tells me that, like most diets and eating patterns, there is no one size fits all when it comes to fasting. Fasting is not for everyone.

My advice for those who decide to forge ahead with fasting is to maintain a regular meal pattern within your eating window. In other words, try avoiding long periods between meals or snacks. Eating 4-5 times within your window is preferrable to 2-3 times in terms of metabolic output, based on my observation.

Finally, it’s important to point out that everyone experiences a daily fast of some duration. Hence the term breakfast as the meal to break one’s fast. Fasting overnight is an important time to allow our body to rest, repair and recover. Whether you choose to actively fast or not, prior to bed allowing yourself 90 minutes or more without food will likely provide several health and metabolic benefits. Not to mention a better night’s sleep!

Written by David Finnin

David is an Accredited Dietitian and Nutritionist based in Adelaide, who specialises in weight loss, food intolerance and chronic health

Why forming habits is messy

You’re on a roll and feeling fantastic “this is the new me!” you say to yourself whilst piling more veggies onto your plate. “I never need unhealthy food again!”. Yet in no time, it seems, you are filled with guilt as you digest another sugar filled mouthful “I’ve failed again!”.

This is a familiar cycle for many and a source of great frustration. How can you go from feeling so good about your new healthy eating routine, to gorging on processed foods the next?  

The answer is habits. You see the best thing about habits also presents the greatest challenge. Let me explain. Habits are strong, very strong. Once established they allow us to function instinctively and with minimal thought. Think of you first time learning to drive, and the mental effort it required. Today I was so engrossed in a podcast I can barely remember my drive home. Habits turn mental effort into instinct, so we can operate on autopilot. 

Creating good habits that lead to productivity or healthy outcomes, is a sure recipe for success. But (and a big but!) undoing habits that are counterproductive to our goals, is not as simple as pressing delete (hold onto this thought).

Think of habits as pathways

That our brain has plasticity so that we can form new physical pathways at any stage of life, is both fascinating and empowering. Habits are pathways, where messages course through neurons resulting in action. Most food related pathways form from an early age- dictated largely by parents and caregivers. As a dietitian I’ve met clients in their 80’s who are still battling habits created before their first day of school.  

The good news is that we are never stuck with habits. That is, at any point in life our brain has the capacity to form brand new, never seen before pathways. Eugene Pauly, an elderly man from San Diego provides a fascinating case study of this. Having suffered a brain injury due to viral encephalitis, he was left with no ability to create new memories. Anything said to or experienced by Eugnene would be forgotten within the minute.

Charles Duhigg in his book The Power of Habit tells the story of how Eugene’s caring wife, attempting to keep him active, would take him for a walk around the neighbourhood block. Each day, at roughly the same time, slowly but surely they would make their way around together. Within moments of arriving home Eugene would forget he had even left.

One day Eugene went missing. Eugene’s wife called the police in a state of panic, only for Eugene to walk through the front door minutes later. Where had he been she wondered? The answer was on his daily walk. Eugene, who would regularly become lost is his own home, had managed to make it around the block and home again unassisted. Keen to explore his case, researchers discovered that despite considerable damage, Eugene’s brain had formed a powerful new habit that led him safely around the block and home again. His story helped shape our understanding today of the power of habits.

Old habits die hard

As our brains are moulded around new pathways, you may be wondering what happens to old ones? Well, nothing. They sit there, inactive, but ready to fire into action at any moment. Herein lies the challenge. No matter how hard we work creating new healthy habits, old ones never disappear. Pressure is often the trigger that reverts us back to more familiar habits. A stressful day at work, family tension, sadness, or anger. These are things that can take us from preparing a veggie loaded meal to the drive through.  

Interpreting these so-called moments of weakness is where I finally want to draw your focus. A momentary reactivation of pathways may feel like failure, but it isn’t. It’s a normal & unavoidable part of the process. The scales may disagree, but you haven’t undone all your good work either. Building new pathways takes time and is messy. The longer you commit to the process, the more chance you create for old pathways to fire up. Each time this happens, remind yourself you haven’t failed, only you have briefly been reminded of where you once were most of the time. Quickly get back to strengthening new habits.  

Long-term commitment with a habit building mindset is the true path to success, no matter how messy it feels at times. So keep going!

Written by David Finnin, Adelaide Dietitian & Nutrtionist

David is a dietitian who specialises in weight loss, food intolerance and chronic illness.

What the scales don’t tell you

Stepping on the scales can be a frightful experience. At Diet For You we don’t force anyone unless they are happy to do so. Yet a big reason for the daunting nature of scales is the false or grossly exaggerated conclusions drawn. They happen to tell us a lot less than what is commonly believed.

Here are three things the scales don’t tell you.

Your health status

There are many things that can affect a person’s health, weight being one. Yet the link between weight and health has been exaggerated to the point where many believe they can’t be healthy, unless they are what mathematical equations deem healthy (we see you BMI!).

Whilst excess fat in the wrong spots, namely visceral fat, can increase risk of metabolic conditions, there are many other influential factors rarely discussed in the same way as weight. Here are few that come to mind…

Sleep. The quantity and quality of your sleep has a huge impact on risk factors. Yet we don’t equate sleep with health in nearly the same way we do weight.

Screen time. Check out research linking the weekly screen time and its link to health. It’s quite fascinating and scary at the same time. Yet, again, it’s rarely placed in the same category as weight.

Sitting. Is sitting the new smoking? I’m not so sure, but the more you sit is certainly correlated to health. And this is coming from someone who does, well, quite a bit of sitting (and nodding) behind a desk.

Stress. For many this is a reality of life, and how we experience and deal with stress is a big marker of health. Whilst this one is commonly acknowledged, it’s still not put on the same level as weight in term of consequence on health.

As you can see weight is just one of many factors linked to one’s health status, and should not be assumed to be the predominate factor of influence.

How healthy your diet is

Let me get straight to the point. I’ve met plenty of people who eat just as or even better than me, yet who in theory are considered overweight. I’ve also met plenty who are perfect in terms of BMI, yet whose diets are, well, far from healthy.

Whilst food quality can indeed impact our weight for good or bad, it’s much less influential than something completely outside of control. That’s right, our genetics. In many cases your weight says more about your genetic make-up than it does how much, or how well you eat.

Perhaps this is little comfort for someone who for decades has experienced what feels like a losing battle with their weight. Yet it’s important to put perspective on what this battle says about your health.

What should never be forgotten is the way we eat, is far more influential than the size of your jeans on health. And the good part is this is completely within our control.

How much fat you carry

Imagine in response to someone asking for a weight loss plan, I ask whether they mean fat, water, or muscle. As a dietitian I know very well that losing fat is the real intention. Yet losing weight and losing fat are not the same thing, evidenced by the fact you can lose one, without losing the other.

Imagine an athlete building muscle whilst adhering to a strict eating regime. In this situation you would expect any decrease in body fat to be at least matched by new growth of muscle.   

For the average person the fat we carry makes up only 15-30% of our total body weight. In other words, more than two thirds of our weight has nothing to do with fat. And most short-term scale fluctuations are almost certainly due to fluid volume, rather than any change in fat.

Next time you step on the scales, keep in mind the many factors outside of body fat that will determine the number staring at you. Namely, the type of exercise you do, your hydration level and what you have eaten are a few.

In summary, understanding what the scales do and don’t tell us is crucial in keeping perspective on what our weight ultimately says about us. Which is much less than commonly assumed.

Written by David Finnin, Adelaide Dietitian & Nutritionist

Following fodmaps? Don’t make this common mistake

The low fodmap diet has helped many regain control of their bowels, and their lives! As a dietitian who specialises in fodmaps and food intolerance, there is no better feeling than seeing someone’s life turned around within a few weeks. 

Yet it’s the effectiveness of fodmaps that’s has led many to make a common mistake, and understandably so. That is, remaining on a diet free of fodmaps for many months. It makes perfect sense, especially for someone who has finally enjoyed a few weeks of freedom from pain, bloating and having to run to the toilet with little notice. Why would you rock the boat so shortly after seeing drastic improvement? 

The concern with fodmaps long-term

It's true that fodmaps have the potential to cause all sorts of problems for someone who is sensitive. Yet they still play a valuable role specifically to our microbiome. Fodmaps are an important source of prebiotics, which help feed the healthy species of bacteria which we want to continue to thrive. Prebiotics are not to be confused with probiotics, which are actual living strains of bacteria. Whilst it’s true that not all prebiotic foods are also high in fodmaps, examples of which are bananas and cooked and cooled potato & rice. It does remain difficult, however, to extract enough variety without at least some types of high fodmap foods.   

It's yet to be seen what the exact risks are for someone remaining on a strict low fodmap diet. Yet it makes good sense that denying our microbiome of a primary fuel source has potential to cause unwanted harm over time. 

Why fodmap challenges are a crucial process

Clients who I’ve worked with right across Adelaide would understand the importance of doing fodmap challenges. This is a series of three days tests which cover sorbitol, mannitol, fructose, lactose, and fructans. Whilst it is a tedious process, importantly, this allows us to grow a list of high fodmap foods that can be reintroduced into a persons long-term diet, at least in moderate amounts. This is crucial for prebiotic diversity. 

With the help of a dietitian who specialises in fodmaps and food intolerance, you will be able to find the right long-term balance of restricting certain fodmap triggers, whilst reintroducing others to support your microbiome health. 

There are still too many who suffer in silence with an issue which can be resolved in a matter of weeks. If this is you, make sure you get the help of a professional who has experience dealing with fodmaps and food intolerance.

Five Good Reasons To Eat Fruit Every Day

More and more people are walking through my door, unsure of whether fruit is good, bad, or somewhere in between. Fear around sugar and fructose has led to growing hesitancy with fruit. As does the growing number of popular ‘diets’ banning or at least restricting it. 

So is fruit still an integral part of a healthy diet? Absolutely! The weight of evidence is still clear on the overwhelming benefits.

Here are 5 good reasons to eat fruit every day. 

1.     It makes you live longer. That is according to one of the biggest studies of fruit and vegetables ever conducted. In 2014, researchers looked at the diets of over 800,000 people, which in terms of scientific studies, is huge! Amazingly for every extra serve of vegetables or fruit a person consumed, it resulted in a 5% drop in risk of premature death. We all know that vegetables are important for a long a healthy life, but it seems fruit is just as important!

2.     It’s the perfect energy source. Fruits fructose content, which is usually the source of concern, is a good reason why it provides fuel. One serve of fruit has 10-15g of fructose, which is enough to supply fuel for our muscles and brain, but not too much that our body must work hard to store it. Fruits natural fibre ensures that its sugar is released into our bloodstream gradually, which is also ideal for more prolonged energy. 

3.     It’s delicious! There is no healthier way than eating fruit to provide us a little hit of sweetness. 

4.     It’s great for our gut. With so much research centred on the microbiome these days, and its role in inflammation and chronic illness, fruits soluble fibre is an important fuel source for healthy bacteria. Scientists have identified prebiotics and fibre as being integral for gut health, and fruit has both, in spades!

5.     It’s can help regulate blood pressure. Studies have consistently shown that eating at least 3 serves of fruit each day, can help lower blood pressure (for those with hypertension). 

How to get the most out of fruit

Fruit has plenty going for it, but too much of a good thing is never a good thing. This certainly applies to fruit. It’s best to limit fruit to one serving at a time (which is approximately the size of your fist). Spreading fruit across the day is the way to go. 

Importantly, most of fruits benefits are when it’s eaten whole! 

What is the Mediterranean diet?

Pasta, red wine, fish, olive oil. What is it that makes a Mediterranean diet, Mediterranean? Whilst all these foods are involved, the true health benefits associated with this unique dietary pattern are steeped in their ancient roots. 

Extremely low rates of heart disease in Greece is what initially sparked the interest of scientists, way back in the 1950’s. Since then, studies run all over the world have consistently shown benefits for heart health, diabetes risk, weight control, microbiome diversity, and slowed ageing. It’s no wonder that Mediterranean diets are talked about in terms of health. In fact, there is no dietary pattern that comes close to possessing the number of scientific studies, which have been performed over decades.

Aside from the clear benefits, the Mediterranean diet’s ability to satiate is what sets it apart. Nuts, seeds, olive oil and fish all contain healthy sources of fat. This fat in combination with plenty of natural fibre, provides a high degree of satisfaction. That’s a big reason why in scientific studies using a Mediterranean diet, participant dropout rates as so low compared to studies using other diets. Put simply, most people find it highly sustainable. 

So what exactly does the Mediterranean diet involve? As mentioned already, it’s the ancient form of the diet where most of the research has been conducted. Here are some of the key aspects of this ancient dietary pattern:

• Rich in fruits and vegetables. No surprises here! Vegetables would provide the bulk of most meals, and fresh fruit would be consumed daily. 

• Nuts and seeds. This would be a daily staple of the diet. Almonds or walnuts were common varieties.  

• Pulses. This was a major source of protein and used in many meals across the week. Examples are cannellini beans and kidney beans. Think minestrone soup!

• Fish. But only in small amounts. In fact the total amount of animal meat consumed was approximately 70-100g, only 2-3 times a week.  

• Olive oil. This was the main oil used for cooking, and dressing salads (along with vinegar). 

• Dairy in moderation. Mostly fermented varieties such as yoghurt and cheese.Wholegrains. Traditional sourdough bread (whole wheat) and barley added even more fibre. 

As a dietitian in Adelaide, I’ve seed first-hand the health benefits of this way of eating. Not only do I use it as a guide for my own diet, but I recommend it as a starting point for many of my clients. But remember, there is no perfect way of eating for everyone. Always keep an open mind to variations that suit your own individual preferences.