25 November 2008 - Watch my sugar hit segment on Sunrise

If you think you suffer from sugar cravings, then it's time to swap lollies for berries. That's right, when you think lollies, simply cut and paste the word 'berries', even the frozen variety which have almost the same or the same nutrient levels.

You can also freeze fresh grapes and sliced watermelon for a healthy, nutrient-rich alternative to sugar iceblocks.

Watch my segment on Sunrise

24 November 2008 - My diet makeovers for the Men's Health Magazine Staff Six Week Challenge

Grab a copy of the December issue of Australian Men's Health to read the shape-up journey of 6 blokes in the magazine's Staff Six Week Challenge. You'll read stories in their own words and see the dietary changes I made as their Nutritionist. Paul Haslam, an Exercise Scientist & previous Mr Australia did the great work designing & supervising the workouts.

Congratulations to all the Men's Health staffers - Jason, Ben, Pat, David, Paul & Jason Lee - who had fantastic interest in making changes to create their nutrient-rich diets. As you'll see in the magazine pictures, their efforts really paid off.

Here's a taste of what the three guys on the right did:

Jason Lee, 28 Senior Deisigner/Picture Editor (left)
Goal - Bulk up
Pre-workout diet - 16,800 kJ
Pitfalls - Okay diet but needed better meal timing
New diet - 13,500 kJ
Strategies - Nuts & trail mix on hand & protein shake after weights routine.
Tune-ups - More pasta & lean meats for energy & protein to stimulate muscle growth.

Pat McNamara, 26 Deputy Art Director (middle)
Goal - Lose belly, get fit
Pre-workout diet - 14,000 kJ
Pitfalls - Eating triggers, sweets & alcohol
New diet - 9,400 kJ
Strategies - Appetite check before eating, trail mix snacks & a cap on booze.
Tune-ups - A check of every food using a calorie counter booklet, started using a shopping list & protein to stimulate muscle growth.

David Ashford, 42 Art Director (right)
Goal - Tone up, Increased fitness
Pre-workout diet - 11,000 kJ
Pitfalls - Eating healthily but too large portions, chocolate cravings at night.
New diet - 8,800 kJ
Strategies - Smaller serves, skim mocha for a choc fix.
Tune-ups - Boosted breakfast cereal & cut back later in the day.

Read more & see the transformations in the December issue of Men's Health

Watch the preview video

Jason Scullin & Paul are onto another 6 weeks for a 12 week challenge, so watch out for even better results when they come out in the February issue.

11 November 2008 - Why metabolism matters... would you buy this car for $10,000?

Would you consider buying this car from a dealer if it had a price tag of $10,000? I mean, it looks pretty nice. At this price you'd probably ask what's wrong with it because its so cheap? Does it have 200,000 kms on it or is the motor dodgy?

If only we had the same thinking when it comes to weight loss and dieting. Whether you lose weight slowly on a healthy diet or you lose it quickly the feedback you'll get is that you look fantastic. This is why so many quick-fix diets sell so well. You look good on the outside.

But what's happening on the inside and what's happening to your metabolism? Rapid weight loss depresses your metabolism and can cause loss of lean muscle mass which further depresses metabolic rate.

You still look good on the outside, like a new sports car though. So, the point here is to always consider what is under hood, how's your engine and how healthy your metabolism is functioning?

You might end up with a great looking sports car body which will burn out in a matter of days or weeks. This is what so many people get with quick-fix diets.

I want you to feel and be a healthy, high-performance machine!

6 November 2008 - Bodytrim review... what the full-page newspaper ads don't tell you

This Spring, the Sunday newspapers are featuring full-page advertisements for the Bodytrim weight loss system.

Bodytrim is a weight loss program created by previous “Personal Trainer of the Year”, Geoff Jowett & General Practitioner Dr Vicky Hillier. It's advertised with the headline “Is exercise making you fat? Find out what gyms and personal trainers DON'T want you to know.” It claims to turn your body into an automatic fat burner. But how does it work?

The answer is simple - semi-starvation. With this program, almost anyone will lose weight, but in the wrong way.

An analysis of the diet plan in the Bodytrim Reference Guide reveals an initial phase (first three days) total dietary energy of less than 3000 kJ for women and around 4000 kJ for men. Phase 1 is almost exclusively protein and has a lower carbohydrate content than the Atkins' diet. Phase 2 (weight loss phase) adds a piece of fruit of serve of starchy carbohydrate and Phase 3 (maintenance) the equivalent of an additional serve of carbohydrate. That's only around 50 grams of carbohydrate for life if you follow the plan carefully.

The Bodytrim program has the following risks:

• Energy level well below a generally healthy weight loss threshold of 5000kJ.
• Dramatic drop in energy intake and rapid weight loss will cause a significant decline in metabolic rate.
• Without resistance exercise to protect lean body tissue (strenuous exercise is only a minor component in the program), the low-energy diet may reduce muscle mass, further compromising metabolic rate.
• Excessively high in protein, which may cause kidney damage in some people.
• Nutritionally unbalanced leading to dietary deficiencies.
• Deficient in dairy, which now has strong evidence to support its role in weight management.
• Difficult to adhere to a low-carbohydrate intake in the long-term leafing to a potentially high failure rate.

5 November 2008 - Read the comments & my replies on the Lemon Detox Diet at YouTube

Since posting my first video Diet Snapshot about the Lemon Detox Diet on YouTube over a month ago, I've had some well-thought questions about the program.

Click for comments, my replies & the video.

4 November 2008 - Why you can make targets work for weight loss

I didn't throw darts at Suzanne, my Office Manager today because she wouldn't let me. For some reason she thought I might miss the board she was holding up across the room & hit her with a dart.

The point here is that you would never expect to hit a bulls eye at darts every time, so why should you be hard on yourself and expect to meet your diet or exercise bulls eye target every day.

Some days you'll be smack on the dietary bulls eye with all your serves of fruit and vegetables & no junk. Other days you might be slightly off target. Some days, you'll miss & be off the board completely.

The success mindshift is making weight loss like darts. Simply practise aiming for your targets every day and you'll become more skilled at staying on track. One target might be 2 pieces of fruit, another a 30 minute walk or simply taking time out to plan healthy food for the next day.

When you hit your targets, you reach your goals. I like targets because they are daily reminders and rewards. And because I never expect to throw perfect bulls eyes all the time, I go easy on myself and have the flexibility to keep eating well through life's ups and downs.

What targets do you have for tomorrow?

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