This is a question that many of us worry about and are desperate to improve!
Having a large waist measurement can indicate that you have too much visceral/internal fat and are putting your health at risk.

Visceral fat is a type of body fat that is stored within your abdominal cavity. It is found near or around your internal organs, including the liver, stomach, and intestines. This is commonly referred to as ‘belly fat’.

Why is it dangerous?

Even if you are not particularly overweight, it is well known that having an apple shape or carrying excess fat around the belly is linked to many concerning health conditions. To name but a few:

• Risk of stroke
• High Blood pressure
• Heart problems
• Bowel Cancer
• Type 2 Diabetes

 

Women often find it harder to lose tummy fat when they are older?

Women generally tend to store more fat in their bodies overall. This is particularly true after the menopause. Unfortunately  it  also takes more time for women to lose extra weight from their tummies.

Drinking alcohol and the drop in oestrogen levels are just some of the main culprits:

The calories from alcohol are not used in the same way as they are from other food sources.
Alcohol is an energy dense food source, which is otherwise quite poor in its nutrient content. That is why the calories from alcohol are sometimes labelled as “empty calories”.

 

There are several reasons why drinking alcohol could lead to weight gain:

• It is calorie dense – 1 gram of alcohol has around twice as many calories as a gram of carbohydrate or protein.
• Your liver has got a special affinity for ethanol – an alcohol derivative. It turns almost all of it into energy.
• Therefore, your body stops using its fats and carbohydrates as energy sources when a lot of energy comes so easily from alcohol.
• When your body gets too much energy from alcohol, it starts to shunt the extra energy into the production of storage products like fats.

• The body cannot metabolize alcohol well as we age, and the toxins are stored as belly fat!
  • When the menopause hits then oestrogen levels drop to an all-time low. So as oestrogen levels decline, women tend to gain more belly fat.

 

Try getting a good night’s sleep to decrease Tummy fat.

Research published in the International Journal of Obesity links sleeping less than five hours per night to abdominal fat gain. Subsequent research has identified that poor sleep can increase levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which increases the tendency to store fat around the waist.

 

What else can I do to lose belly fat?

• Eat a healthy high fibre diet.
Aiming for around 30 grams of fibre each day can help you lose weight, lower your blood pressure, and improve your body’s response to insulin just as effectively as a more complicated diet.
• Eat a more balanced diet that includes a minimum of five portions of fruit and veg every day.
• Eat more beans, pulses, fish and eggs.
• Drink plenty of water. Being dehydrated can lower your metabolic rate by up to 20%.
• Avoid adding sugar or salt to your meals.
• You need to burn up more calories/energy than you are actually eating.

Exercise

So when exercising, not only calories are burned but also your body fat percentage decreases and your muscle mass percentage increases.
Muscle cells burns calories mega fast!
So, exercising not only helps you lose belly fat, but it also sheds fat from other areas. Running and walking are two of the best fat-burning exercises, however using a cross trainer or bike will get results.

 

So how do I know if my belly is too large?

According to current NHS guidelines

You should try to lose weight if your waist is:

94cm (37in) or more for men
80cm (31.5in) or more for women

This will vary according to your height but provides a rough guide.
However, you could be at very high risk if your measurements exceed those below and should consider seeking nutritional guidance or see a GP if your waist is:

102cm (40in) or more for men
88cm (34.5in) or more for women

 

Planning to target all these gaps in your current lifestyle is key. If you want to lose belly fat and start making some changes, contact:FoodCoach@weightlossnutritionist.co.uk

It is very easy to think that by cutting calories/fats, we can lose weight and run faster. However, we need to grasp the concept of our body as a machine that needs proper fuelling to run efficiently.

When dealing with younger female athletes in particular; I am struck by the desire to reduce the amount of fats consumed in their diet.

Women often feel pressurised to be very thin to perform at their best.

This in turn can lead to an undernourished body that has to prioritize which bodily functions are the most important to life.

Processes that are not essential to staying alive, such as growth and reproductive function, may get less energy.

This means that the functionality of the hypothalamus (the control centre in our brain which regulates many of the hormonal fluctuations within the body), can become suppressed. This means that normal hormonal fluctuations like those that regulate the menstrual cycle may be altered or stop altogether.

The well-nourished athlete will not only perform better but will perform better longer.

Understanding why we need fats in our diet and how they help us is crucial when deciding on how to go about your eating well for sport.

Below is a guide to help you:

Fat intake for an athlete should range between 20-35% of total daily calories. We need this amount of fat for:

• Body to use vitamins: Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble vitamins, meaning that the fat in foods helps the intestines absorb these vitamins into the    body.
• Brain development: Fat provides the structural components not only of cell membranes in the brain, but also of myelin, the fatty insulating sheath that   surrounds each nerve fibre, enabling it to carry messages faster.
• Energy: Gram for gram fats are the most efficient source of food energy. Each gram of fat provides nine calories of energy for the body, compared with four  calories per gram of carbohydrates and proteins.
• Healthier skin: One of the more obvious signs of fatty acid deficiency is dry, flaky skin. In addition to giving skin its rounded appeal, the layer of fat just   beneath the skin acts as the body's own insulation to help regulate body temperature.
• Healthy cells: Fats are a vital part of the membrane that surrounds each cell of the body. Without a healthy cell membrane, the rest of the cell couldn't   function.
• Making hormones: Fats are structural components of some of the most important substances in the body, including prostaglandins, hormone-like substances that regulate many of the body's functions. Fats regulate the production of our sex hormones. This explains why some teenage girls that are too lean, will experience delayed pubertal development and amenorrhea (loss of menstrual cycle).
• Pleasure: Besides being a nutritious energy source, fat adds to the appealing taste, texture and appearance of food. Fats carry flavour.
• Protective cushion for our organs: Many of the vital organs, especially the kidneys, heart, and intestines are cushioned by fat that helps protect them from injury and hold them in place.

So, what are the risks of inadequate fat consumption?

Poor Vitamin Absorption
Eating a diet that is too low in fat can interfere with the absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. These nutrients are fat soluble; therefore, your body needs dietary fat to utilize them.
These vitamins are stored mostly in our liver and fatty tissue. They are important for bodily functions such as growth, immunity, cell repair and blood clotting. If you're not eating enough fat to bring these vitamins into your body, they will be pooped out, and you may be at risk of vitamin deficiency.

Depression
A diet that's too low in fat; especially essential fatty acids, which your body can only get from food, could affect your mental health.
Both omega-3s and omega-6s play roles in mood and behaviour. They are the precursor to many hormones and chemicals produced in the brain. The fatty acids help to insulate nerve cells in the brain, allowing these nerve cells to better communicate with one another.

Increased Cancer Risk
Colon, breast, and prostate cancers have all been correlated with low intakes of essential fatty acids. Research has shown that a high intake of omega-3s slows prostate tumour and cancer cell growth, too. If your diet lacks healthy fats, you could be increasing your risk of cancer.

High Cholesterol and Heart Disease
When your diet is too low in fat, your body's level of HDL (the "good" cholesterol) goes down. This is NOT good because you want your HDL level to be high to help protect against heart disease.

Imbalance of Nutrients—Especially Carbs
If you're eating very little fat, then you're more likely to be consuming too much of other nutrients, namely carbs and/or protein. This affects the overall balance of your diet, which could lead to health problems.

Overeating
You can last longer on a meal or snack that provides fat without feeling the need to eat again soon. When that fat is missing, your appetite may get the better of you.

Considering the health risks of not eating enough fat, it is definitely important to include enough in your diet daily. However, not all fats are created equal. Foods such as avocados, rapeseed and olive oil, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, almonds, walnuts, salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring, chia seeds and flax-seed are all excellent sources of healthy fats.

There has recently been a great deal of media focus on sustainable eating and how the meat and dairy industry are a major contributor to greenhouse emissions. It therefore makes sense to explore a reduction in our consumption of animal-based foods and instead choose a wide range of plant foods to benefit not just our planet but our health.

What is a plant-based diet?
This a diet that is based on foods derived from plants, including legumes/pulses, vegetables, whole-grains, nuts, seeds and fruit. It is vital that they are well planned to ensure that we obtain the wide variation in nutrients necessary to support healthy living.

What are the benefits of a plant-based diet?
This type of diet tends to cut out unhealthy items, such as added sugars, refined grains and saturated fats. It has been linked to a number of health benefits, including reducing your risk of:

• heart disease
• certain cancers,
• obesity
• diabetes
• cognitive decline

Meat and dairy can increase the body’s inflammatory response which can make certain health conditions worse.

A recent study published in the journal Nutrients, detailed the experience of a young man with Crohn’s disease who achieved complete remission after eliminating meats and processed foods while he adopted a plant-based diet. See also 'Gut Health' & IBS info.

Can I lose weight on a plant-based diet?
Yes.

A higher fibre content combined with excluding processed foods is a fabulous combination for shedding excess pounds!
A review of 12 studies that included more than 1,100 people found that those assigned to plant-based diets lost significantly more weight — about 4.5 pounds (2kg) over an average of 18 weeks — than those assigned to non-vegetarian diets.

How do I get my protein?
Plant-based sources of protein include lentils, beans, chickpeas, seeds, nuts and nut butters also tofu. Eggs, and dairy are also good sources if you are eating these.
Meat substitutes like vegetarian burgers, soya sausages, and other meat alternatives can be useful for those who are adapting to a plant-based diet and can provide a source of protein.
However, as with any processed foods, these can sometimes be high in salt and fat so should be used in moderation. These products may also contain animal ingredients such as eggs, milk derivatives and honey.

Does that mean I can’t eat meat?
No, it does not mean that you cannot ever eat meat. Being plant-based means that you are seeking to obtain a high proportion of your diet through plants but not necessarily exclusively. Some people choose to have meat-free days; others to only eat meat once a week or once a month etc.
So, a wholefood, plant-based diet is very flexible. The idea is to eat mainly plants but animal products are not off limits.

Types of plant-based diet can include:
• Lacto-ovo vegetarians – eat dairy foods and eggs but not meat, poultry or seafood.
• Ovo-vegetarians – include eggs but avoid all other animal foods, including dairy. Lacto-vegetarians – eat dairy foods but exclude eggs, meat, poultry and seafood.
• Vegans – don’t eat any animal products at all, including honey, dairy and eggs. Variations of plant-based diets include:
• Pescetarians – eat fish and/or shellfish.
• Semi-vegetarians (or flexitarians) – occasionally eat meat, poultry or fish

Planning your diet for optimum health
Here are seven simple tips to help you make that transition to a wholesome, plant-based diet:
1. Start slow. ...
2. Cut down meat and processed food intake. ...
3. Go for a plant-based breakfast. ...
4. Watch your protein. ...
5. Know your food. ...
6. Stock up on healthy foods. ...
7. Keep your meals fun and exciting.

To make sure that you have planned your plant-based diet correctly, it may be beneficial to seek the help of a registered Nutritionist.
Book a Nutritional MOT with the FOOD COACH.

Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death. Living with diabetes is the leading cause of:

• Blindness
• Lower Limb amputations
• Heart Disease
• Kidney failure
• Early death.

 

Weight-Loss

If you are overweight and want to reduce your risk of developing type two diabetes, then working with a Registered Nutritionist may help prevent you from becoming a statistic. Type 2 diabetes doesn’t have to be a lifelong condition for everyone.

Lots of current research into low-calorie weight management programmes shows that diabetes can be put into remission!

Have you recently been diagnosed with gestational diabetes? Learn how to manage this better during your pregnancy.

When you are already diagnosed as diabetic, you can still lower your blood sugars and reliance on medications. You can still make a big difference to your outcome and lower your HbA1c reading.

 

Diagnosed as pre-diabetic?

Did you know that up to 60% of people can avoid becoming diabetic if they manage the situation correctly at this stage.
There are many basis things that you can do to improve your condition but sometimes we need individual tailored help and guidance on how best to make those changes.

 

How can you improve things?

• Lose weight, if you are classed as overweight. 80% of people with type two diabetes are overweight. That means that there are 20% of other diabetics that need help to find the right diet to improve cardiovascular outcomes and blood glucose control.

• Move more and understand how your muscles can use up excess glucose when you exercise in the correct way. So exercise lowers blood glucose levels, and it is important to understand how to manage safe exercise.

• Change your dietary intake because this is vital.

• Drink more fluids.

• Get guidance on managing changes. But, one change at a time to make the changes permanent.

• Understand how to control your blood sugar/insulin levels and keep them stable. Know how the glycaemic index works and how important the glycaemic load is in maintaining a steady blood sugar level.

• The types of food you eat, when and how often are key. For example; whole-grains, healthy fats and pulses will help to ensure a slower release of blood sugars into the blood stream.

 

Getting Help

Studies have shown that after 8 weeks on a trialled low-calorie diabetic diet, participants had reduced the amount of fat in their liver and pancreas. This helped them to produce insulin again and effectively put their diabetes into remission.

Book your one-to-one session with The Food Coach and improve your risk.http://www.weightlossnutritionist.co.uk

Do you need some guidance on how to get in shape before your wedding day?

Many women see their wedding day as the most important day of their lives. With wedding dresses more revealing than in previous years looking your best is essential.

You may be focused on the wedding cake, the rings or flowers but for many brides- and grooms-to-be, getting in shape is an important part of their wedding planning.

Are you struggling to lose weight? How many times have brides said; “I got my wedding photos back and I hate myself for not losing more weight!”

Getting married is a huge lifestyle change and so is losing weight successfully. You want to live healthier ever after and resorting to drastic measures before hand such as pills or fad diets can set you up for continual yo-yo dieting instead of the permanent weight loss you desire.

Seeking help from the Food Coach Nutritionist, will help you to set up a healthy well-balanced diet and make any necessary lifestyle changes.

‘Wedding in 10 weeks!”

You need a structured plan of food, exercise and lifestyle changes. Having a qualified nutritionist look at your existing food intake will enable them to identify what nutrients you are deficient in. It may identify problems with food timing, hydration, how, when and what you eat.

What is your weight-loss goal? Being motivated with the food coach will help you to shed those extra pounds.

It’s all about the dress!

Make sure that you fit into your gorgeous dress and have the waist size you need. Advice on reducing belly fat and bloating could all help.

Its so important to ensure that you are not just losing water and lean muscle mass. Getting it right means losing BODY FAT!

Commit to a weight-loss and fitness plan and adopt healthy habits that will last a lifetime.

Many married people become heavier than those than remain single so getting your habits right now will help you both to remain slimmer.

I will work with you to:
Set goals
Devise a strategy
Change damaging habits
Get motivated
Shed pounds

Encourage your fiance to join you, even if it’s just for a nutritional MOT.

Cooking, eating and exercising together is a good way to support each other and an important part of your marriage.

• Do you want to look great for your wedding?
• Would you like help with weight-loss?
• Book a Pre-Wedding Session with The FOOD COACH

What you eat and the supplements you take, could determine your next sporting performance.

This of course depends on the gender, age and the sport that you take part in.
Different people have varying dietary needs.

Dietary supplements are used for sports nutrition by athletes worldwide and studies indicate that elite athletes use them the most!

Although a healthy diet should provide an adequate amount; vitamins function in the human body as metabolic regulators. This influences many of the physiological processes that are important to exercise or sports performance.

Vitamin deficiencies can certainly impair exercise performance.

A daily intake of less than one-third of the RDA for several of the B vitamins (B1, B2 and B6) and vitamin C, even when other vitamins are supplemented in the diet, may lead to a significant decrease in VO2 max and your anaerobic threshold in less than four weeks.

For example, many B-complex vitamins are involved in processing carbohydrate and fats for energy production. This is an important consideration during exercise of varying intensity.

• Several B vitamins are also essential to help form haemoglobin in red blood cells, which is crucial for oxygen delivery to the muscles during aerobic endurance exercise.

• Vitamins C and E function as antioxidants. This is important for preventing oxidative damage to cellular and sub-cellular structures that function when we are exercising or training.

• Vitamin E plays a vital role in the respiration of cells and forming muscle tissue to increase muscular strength.

• Vitamin D is possibly the one supplement that all athletes should consider taking to support their immune system and aid calcium absorption.

• Calcium can relieve painful, performance–destroying cramps. It can help to calm our nerves. This is essential for athletes who suffer from performance anxiety.
  It is also needed to activate a number of enzymes needed to produce ATP (adenosine triphosphate) for energy and to break down protein molecules.
  It helps in preventing brittle bones (osteoporosis).

• Magnesium is used for more than 300 bodily functions. It assists in energy production, maintaining healthy bone density and aiding the electrical conduction of the heart. Magnesium is an electrolyte because it conducts electrical signals in the body.

  Athletes burn off a lot of magnesium and lose more through excessive sweating.

  When our electrolytes are replaced with salt and sodium but NO magnesium this leads to a long-term side effect of magnesium deficiency. Magnesium deficiency results in altered cardiovascular function, including electrocardiograph abnormalities, impaired carbohydrate metabolism, with insulin resistance and decreased insulin secretion, and high blood pressure.

  Even a mild deficiency causes tinnitus, nervousness, irritability, mental depression, confusion, twitching, fatigue, apprehension, insomnia, muscle weakness and cramps in the toes, feet, legs, or fingers.

• Potassium is an electrolyte, that along with magnesium, sodium and calcium is crucial to replace  during exercise. If you do not ensure an adequate amount in your diet, then, your performance will decline! Potassium is a salt that the body uses to help manage several processes, including: sweat, nerve functioning, glycogen and fluid management, and blood pressure.

Supplements?

Obtaining adequate vitamins, including the use of supplements, may be prudent for many athletes. Athletes involved in heavy training may need more of several vitamins.

Some athletes may be at risk of vitamin deficiency.

For example; Those in weight-control sports or those who do not eat a well-balanced diet.
Intense physical activity demands excellent nutrition.

So, supplements may be recommended for some athletes to limit the effects of oxidative stress when performing regular, heavy exercise.

• How good is your sports Nutrition?
• Are you getting enough of the right nutrients?
• Do you need help with supplements?
• Book a Sports Nutrition Session with The FOOD COACH

Your nutrition plays a key role in the onset, severity and duration of depression, including daily mood swings - your mental health. Many of the same food patterns that precede depression are the same food patterns that occur during depression. These patterns may include skipping meals, poor appetite, and a desire for sweets.

It is so important to get the balance right. For example, people who follow extremely low carbohydrate diets also run the risk of feeling depressed or blue. This is because the brain chemicals that promote a feeling of well-being, tryptophan and serotonin, are triggered by those carbohydrate rich foods.  It has to be the right type of carbs though!

Brain Chemicals

Having a high serotonin level – which is occasionally referred to as our ‘satisfaction’ brain chemical – gives us a sense of happiness. Serotonin can overcome the desire to overeat sugary and refined carbohydrate foods.

Maintaining good serotonin levels is possibly one of the most important, yet most ignored, means of reducing that urge to binge-eat and drink. We make serotonin from tryptophan, so eating tryptophan rich foods such as turkey, chicken and milk can naturally boost our serotonin levels.

Fatty omega-3 acids, found in oily fish such as mackerel and salmon, are also present in chia seeds and flax seeds. Omega-3 stimulates the brain’s chemical receptors which are built from fats. Therefore, consuming enough omega 3 in your diet is important for that serotonin ‘message’ to be received.

Certain foods contain the starting materials for some of our brain’s neurotransmitters. If our diet is deficient in some of these nutrients or precursors, then our brain will not be able to produce some vital neurotransmitters.

Neurological and mental disorders may occur when the balance of our neurotransmitters becomes upset. Some examples of neurotransmitter precursors include:

• Aspartic Acid: Used to make aspartate; found in peanuts, potatoes, eggs and grains.
• Choline : Used to make acetylcholine; found in eggs, liver and soybeans.
• Glutamic Acid: Used to make glutamate; found in flour and potatoes.
• Phenylalanine: Used to make dopamine; found in beets, soybeans, almonds, eggs, meat and grains.
• Tryptophan: Used to make serotonin; found in eggs, meat, skim milk, bananas, yogurt, milk, and cheese.
• Tyrosine: Used to make norepinephrine; found in milk, meat, fish and legumes.

Vitamin D

A lack of vitamin D is now known to be linked to fatigue, a weaker immune system and can cause depression or SAD; seasonal affected disorder.

Serotonin, the brain hormone associated with mood elevation, rises with exposure to bright light and falls with decreased sun exposure. In 2006, scientists evaluated the effects of vitamin D on the mental health of 80 elderly patients. They found that those with the lowest levels of vitamin D were 11 times more prone to be depressed than those who received healthy doses.

Vitamin D is an immune boosting vitamin. Therefore, a vitamin D deficiency can lead to feeling tired, cause a lack of energy and frequent illnesses, such as colds and common viruses.

A study done by John Hopkins University found that teens with low levels of vitamin D were 5 times more likely than their peers to become obese. It is unsure how they are linked but the lack of energy caused by low vitamin D levels can reduce activity levels in teens.

A vitamin D deficiency can also make symptoms of depression worse due to being withdrawn and fatigued. During the winter months, it may be advisable to take a vitamin D3 supplement. It is not easy to derive enough of this vitamin from our diet alone.

Nutrition and Mental Health

Note that whilst food plays a vital role in nutrition and depression, it is essential to remain hydrated, as the human brain is 80% water. Fundamentally, even the slightest depreciation of hydration levels can raise stress hormones. This will have the potential to injure an individual’s brain over time.

• Are you eating enough of the right nutrients for your Brain?
• Do you understand how and when to balance these requirements?
• Book a Nutritional MOT with the FOOD COACH

When we age, there are many changes including nutrient deficiencies and inadequate dietary intake that can have a profound impact on our nutritional status.

This can start to exacerbate the decline in physiological and psychological functions that occur as we age.

Studies indicate that many older people produce less stomach acid. Low stomach acid can affect our absorption of nutrients; for example

B12    Calcium    Iron   Magnesium.

We also experience a reduced need for calories. Energy requirements start to decline after the age of 50 for woman and around 60 for men. However, our need to consume the same amount of vitamins/nutrients does not.

This means that that the importance of a nutrient rich diet with the correct vitamins and minerals is paramount. So, older adults need to get just as much, if not more, of some nutrients, all while eating fewer calories.

As we age, we may need fewer calories to maintain our weight, since we tend to move and exercise less and carry less muscle.

If you continue to eat the same number of calories per day as you did when you were younger, you could easily gain extra fat, especially around the belly area). This is especially true in postmenopausal women, as the decline in oestrogen levels seen during this time may promote belly fat storage.

Are you eating enough protein OR maybe too much? Eating the correct amount of protein can help your body to main muscle mass and strength (sarcopenia) as you age.  The average adult loses 3-8% of their muscle mass each decade as they age.

Age also affects the gut microbiota, changing its composition so that it becomes less protective and supportive of health. Your diet can have a strong impact on your gut microbiota. Eating foods that contain prebiotics and taking a good probiotic can help to improve this.

• Are you eating enough of the right nutrients?
• Do you understand your calorie/energy requirements?
  
• Book a Nutritional MOT with the FOOD COACH.

Are you determined to look good and feel good for a special occasion in a few months or even weeks? Perhaps a friend's wedding or a school reunion? Maybe a holiday? Before it's too late, let me help you on the right track!

I can help you find the diet that is right for you.

My pre- operative weight loss diet used for patients prior to surgery can help you to shed pounds!

OR

The tailored ketogenic diet might be right for you?

OR

The No-nonsense healthy weight loss plan may suit you better.

I can tailor a diet for you, formulate an exercise programme and provide motivation to keep you on track.

For most people, losing weight is not always just as simple as cutting down on your daily food intake, exercising a bit more and yippee you’ve lost the weight.

It is more about how, when and what you eat. Making changes that will be long lasting and have a positive effect on your health.

For an initial consultation, call me on 07747 892648.