Smoothie Bowl

Smoothie bowls are currently taking over our social media and we have to admit they look delicious! But are these colourful fruit filled bowls actually good for us? At Naed Nutrition we get excited about breakfast, the endless array of options that start your day in a positive way and fuel yourself for the day ahead; smoothies have to be one of our favourites. Smoothies are a fantastic fast and convenient breakfast option especially for those on the go, simply prep and portion your smoothies and freeze in zip lock bags for the week ahead to grab out in morning, blitz and go!

When preparing smoothies limit yourself to one piece or 1/2 -1/4 cup of fruit, try to add some greens like a handful of kale or baby spinach, and add a protein source; whether a scoop of a good quality protein powder (we recommend Boomers Whey Protein Isolate) or 1-2tbs of LSA mix or mixed unsalted nuts and seeds. By adding a protein source to your smoothie you assist to regulate insulin and blood sugar levels, stay fuller for longer, and create a slow release energy that will last you well into morning tea.

A smoothie bowl is essentially a smoothie poured into a bowl topped with an array of fruits, nuts, and seeds. They can be a delicious meal eaten any time of the day filled with an array of nutrients, just ensure you don't add too many toppings as you have already blitzed up your requirements in the smoothie, therefore by adding an additional array of toppings you are essentially adding extra calories that you may not require, depending on your activity level for the day. The recipe below details a smoothie bowl of a healthy portion size!

Ingredients

1 scoop of protein powder

1/4 cup of berries or 1 piece of fresh fruit

2 handfuls of baby spinach or kale

150mL unsweetened unflavoured almond milk

1 tbl natural probiotic yogurt

1 tsp of chia seeds

1 tsp flax seeds

1 tsp roughly chopped walnuts

Directions

Blend protein powder, berries/fruit, spinach/kale, unsweetened almond milk and yogurt in a blender until smooth. Pour into a bowl and top with chia seeds, flax seeds and walnuts. Enjoy!

School Lunch Box Ideas

Its back to school for the kids and your stuck for healthy lunch box ideas! No need to stress as Naed Nutrition have put together a few tips to help you spruce up your kids lunch boxes, and provide them with the nutrition they need to keep up their concentration and energy levels for day. 

• Think healthy snacks for morning and afternoon tea. Provide your kids with a snack they can eat quickly, as they will often leave food if it takes too long to eat and takes up their play time. Quick and healthy snacks include; cut up vegetable sticks filled with dip (celery, carrot, cucumber, capsicum, snow peas),  baby quiches, wholemeal picklets, wholemeal fruit muffin, rice cakes and avocado, cold chicken breast pieces, cold chicken drumsticks, cheese cubes, boiled egg,  natural yoghurt, cheese and fruit skewers and cut up fruit pieces.

• Ensure your kids lunch is comprised of protein, healthy fats and complex carbohydrates. Children require additional needs compared to adults for growth and development therefore they require a nutrient packed lunch that will keep them energised for the afternoon. Some sandwich options include  lean turkey breast and salad, tuna and salad, roasted vegetables and salad. When making sandwiches always use a multigrain or wholemeal bread, try using hummus or avocado as a replacement for butter or margerine, and fill with salad to ensure your children are getting enough greens. Other lunch ideas include frittatas, cold wholemeal pesto, wholemeal pitta pockets, wholemeal roasted vegetable pizzas and multigrain wraps.

• Get your children involved in making their lunches. Aim to get the kids involved in packing or creating their lunch; they are more likely to eat something they have made themselves. Plan to make some mini quiches, fritters or boil some eggs together on the weekend. 

• Get creative! Children are attracted to colourful shapes and characters. Cut their sandwiches into fun shapes, include colourful fruits like berries and cherry tomatoes. Place foods onto skewers to create a fun lunch experience.
  

• Variety is key to keep your children interested. Having the same lunch everyday is boring for adults let alone children, therefore swap us fruits and vegetables, wraps and sandwiches, shapes and colours to keep children interested. Variation is also  important for nutrition to provide a variety of vitamins and minerals, and ensure your children have access to all the nutrients they require for growth and development.

• Always pack a colourful water bottle!  Avoid juice boxes, fruit juices, cordials or flavoured drinks as many can cause a sugar rush and hyperactivity in children. High sugar juices and meals can also cause tooth decay in children, therefore by avoiding sugary drinks and encouraging children to drink water with their meals, children can avoid an increased susceptibility to tooth cavities. Flavour water with fruits such as berries or apple pieces, lemon or lime wedges and encourage children to drink water throughout the day to aid digestion, hydration and energy production.

8 Ways To Increase Energy

 

A lack of energy is the most common complaint I hear amongst new clients. It is also the first improvement they

1. Drink more water

Dehydration is one of the most common signs of feeling flat, run down & tired. When you don’t have enough water your brain your blood thickens which means the heart has to work so much harder to pump blood around to your vital organs. Increasing your water will not only increase energy but it will also increase cognitive function too.

Tip: try to have a glass of water as soon as you wake up (instead of coffee) and chase every tea & coffee with the same about of water

2. Ensure you have a good night’s sleep

This is the most obvious way to boost your energy – but it is easier said than done. There can be a lot of factors that prevent your from having a good night’s sleep including

• Electronics (TV, phone, laptop etc.)
• Stress
• Poor sleep environment (bed/pillow not comfortable, distractions around the room, too much light etc.)
• Inability to switch off
• Poor routine
• Poor routine
• Poor diet 
• (and so on)

Tip: remove all electronics from the room, ensure you room is dark & spend 15minutes winding down at night time each night

3. Eat regularly 

Eating every 3-4 hours of a well-balanced diet will ensure that your blood sugar levels have less dramatic spikes & drops meaning you will feel less like you are on a roller coaster, forever trying to pick up your energy back up. Going for more than 5 hours without food can cause you to overeat as you try to compensate bringing your sugar levels back up (often of the wrong foods), not to mention that ‘food coma’ feeling once you have eaten double what you have intended

Tip: Ensure you have protein at every meal or snack and be prepared

4. Reduce the caffeine

People differ in their sensitivity to caffeine and can have very different types of reactions & it is about understanding how sensitive you are. Caffeine can increase alertness, heart rate & promote weight loss but it can also cause restlessness, difficulty in sleeping, headaches, IBS symptoms, and for a lot of people send them on a rollercoaster of energy levels.

Tip: Swap a coffee/tea/soft drink for a loose leaf herbal tea; replace the morning tea coffee with a mug of warm water with lemon

5. Increase your B vitamins

B vitamins are essential for increasing energy as they required creating a molecule of energy in the body. Most of you B vitamins required for energy are found in mushrooms, asparagus, spinach, broccoli, strawberries and sunflower seeds.

Tip: Have a snack of strawberries & sunflower seeds, as well as swapping lettuce for spinach in your salads

6. Increase your Iron intake

Iron is known to have a dramatic effect on energy levels. Our bodies generally absorb heme iron sources better (red meat) compared to non-heme iron sources (beans, legumes, brown rice, nuts) however you can absolutely have adequate iron levels consuming non-heme iron source.  Ensure you are consuming your high iron foods with high vitamin C foods (broccoli, blueberries etc.)

Tip: Add some extra beans to your salad and nuts to your stir fry

7. Decrease your refined sugars

Reducing the refined sugar in your diet will IMMEDIATELY boost your energy levels simply because consuming refined sugar peaks your insulin levels very quickly and drops them just as fast – causing you to crave more sugar to pick your energy back up and the cycle starts again. Remove them as much as possible from your diet

Tip: Swap the afternoon chocolate bar for some organic yoghurt with blueberries & chia seeds

8. Catch some rays

Low vitamin D levels are becoming more prevalent in our society. Getting 15minutes of sun on exposed skin (no sunscreen) 3 x per week can be very difficult for those you work inside in offices as well as the elderly. Vitamin D can also be found in salmon with bones, fish, fish oil, mushrooms

Tip:  Ensure you have a salmon at least once a week & go outside on your lunch break 3 x per week.

If you need help improving your energy simply email admin@naednutrition.com.au

Top 5 Energy Stealers

Feeling low on energy?? Here are the most common reasons why you may be feeling this way.

1. Dehydration

A lack of water is one of the common signs of fatigue! As water makes much the majority of blood, without it, the blood thickens (even in mild dehydration), which in turn the heart has to work harder to pump blood to the vital organs = fatigue.

Not sure if you’re well hydrated?? Your urine is the easiest detection. Check your frequency & the colour when you urinate. It should be pale yellow-clear & you should be urinating every 2-4 hours.  

Tip: Increase your water intake to a minimum of 1.5L & feel the difference

2. Too much bad bacteria

An overgrowth in bad bacteria in the stomach & intestines is another energy stealer. When this is bad enough it will interfere with nutrient absorption & digestions & can lead to deficiencies particularly in energy co-factors i.e.: B vitamins and magnesium.

Causes include chrones, diabetes, diverticulitis, anti-biotics, no enough pro-biotic foods, food allergies & intolerances, low nutrient dense food intakes, high intake of toxins etc.

Symptoms include: gas, constipation, bloating, fatigue, diarrhoea.

Tip: Increase pre & pro biotic food (a supplement may be required) as well as whole foods, decrease packaged and processed foods

3. Low Iron

This is fairly common in women, particularly those who do not eat the 2-3 serves of red meat a week as recommended by health professionals. However this may also be a genetic condition that you can’t store Iron. In fact there are many reasons why your Iron may be low!

Symptoms: Fatigue, muscle weakness, irritability, lack of motivation, pale skin, weak nails, thinning hair, SOB on exertion and more

Tip: Increase lean red meat in diet in combination which high vitamin C foods to aid absorption. Alternatively a supplement may be recommended by your health care professional.

4. Adrenal Fatigue

Fatigued adrenals are a result of the increased release of cortisol in the blood stream have been shown to have quite severe and negative effects increased abdominal fat leading to a whole range of health issues within itself.

Symptoms: Fatigue, dark circles under the eyes, dry skin, muscle twitches, heart palpitations, infections, severe cravings, lack of stamina for stress and much more.

Tip: Get more sleep, decreased refined sugars, decrease/eliminate caffeine, eat more whole fruits & vegetables and increase water.

5. B12 Deficiency

Is quite common in vegetarians & almost certain in vegans.  A B12 deficiency for a significant amount of time can cause confusion, depression loss of balance and numbness in the extremities.

Causes: Poor diet, alcoholism, chrones, anaemia, bowel resection surgeries and more.

Symptoms: pale skin, diarrhoea, fatigue, shortness of breath and more.

Tip: Increase B12 foods i.e.: meat, fish, eggs, poultry, shellfish, and diary, Vegetarians: increase eggs & dairy, Vegans: Look at a B12 supplement/injection

If any of these are suspected consult your health care professional for more information & treatment.

Boosting Immunity

Need to boost your immune system with cold and flu season well & truly here? The below foods carry anti-bacterial/fungal/inflammatory properties that all assist in reducing sinus congestion:

• Foods containing Omega-3 fatty acids, such as cold-water fish (Salmon, Sardines, Mackerel, Anchovies), Fish and Linseed oils, Avocado, nuts, seeds and eggs. These essential fatty acids act as a natural anti-inflammatory, reducing sinus swelling and congestion. 

• Garlic, which may boost immunity levels enabling you to more easily fight off a Sinus infection. 

• Foods containing high amounts of Vitamin C, such as Citrus fruits, tomatoes, strawberries, broccoli and blueberries. The Vitamin C reduces inflammation; boost overall immunity levels and acts as a natural anti-histamine. 

• Pineapple, which contains the bromelain enzyme known for its anti-inflammatory and decongestive properties. 

• Apple Cider Vinegar, which is rich in the Potassium that functions to break down mucous production. 

• Water, which should be consumed in large amounts to prevent the mucous membranes from drying out and a consequent congestion taking place

• Foods that eliminate Candida yeast from the gut (which has linked to Sinusitis), such as cold pressed oils (such as Olive oil) and most fresh vegetables.

Foods that should be avoided include:

• Dairy products, which have been associated with the production of phlegm and mucous. These may be replaced Rice products as Soy may also occasionally cause mucous to thicken. 

• Spicy foods, which may trigger acid reflux that can trigger an episode of Sinusitis. 

• Alcohol, which dehydrates the body thus hardens mucous and inflames sinus and nasal membranes. It may also trigger acid reflux that may aggravate the condition. 

• Caffeine, a diuretic that dehydrates the nasal membranes. Coffee should especially be avoided as it is acidic as well and may cause acid reflux from the stomach.

Ideal Supplements:

• Echinacea: In liquid form is a powerful and well absorbed herb to prevent cold & flu symptoms developing but also reduces the severity & duration of illness 

• Juice Plus+: supports several measures of immune function including higher amounts of immune antioxidants and natural killer cells (which attack viruses), as well as reduce severity of symptoms (particularly in the immunocompromised groups such as children and the elderly)

• Probiotics: Majority of our immune system is found in our gut thus boosting your good gut flora will allow you to fight off more illness. Ideally a refrigerated probiotic will have more live bacteria. See the comparasion here: Supplement Review: Probiotics

Email sinead@naednutrition.com.au for more information about boosting your immune system.