Cacao VS Cocoa

Cacao, Cocoa - same same but different right? Not quite and here is why...

	Cacao	Cocoa
What is?	Cacao is a raw superfood that comes from cacao beans. It is the purest form	Cocoa is cacao, roasted
What nutrients is it high in?	Antioxidants Magnesium Iron Potassium Zinc Healthy fats Fibre Protein	Less of each nutrient when compared to cacao particularly fibre and healthy fats
Pros	Promotes cardiovascular health Improves mood Reduces insulin resistance Very high source of antioxidants Excellent source of nutrients	Slightly less health benefit due to heating procedure
Cons	Bitter and rich in flavour	Mostly teamed with high sugar, milk fats, hydrogenated oils and artificial flavourings in products
Most common forms	Powder Nibs Butter	Powder

Which one do I pick?

The rawest form of the food is the best option. When making your own hot chocolates, smoothies, protein balls or dessert the raw cacao (organic if you can) is your best option in terms of health, longevity and a fat loss. Majority of cheap cocoa powders are going to be teamed with sugars. When choosing an item premade your cacao is always going to be better – just be sure to check what it is teamed with (hydrogenated oils/ sugars etc.)

Need a healthy chocolate fix? Try our Crunchy Protein Balls recipe

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What is a Nutritionist?

Nutritionists are trained allied health professionals who provide safe, evidence-based dietary and nutritional advice to assist in the management of health and prevention of disease. Poor diet, the ingestion of harsh chemicals and eating foods with a low nutritional value can have a detrimental effect on health, however through correct nutritional advice more diseases can easily be prevented, treated and even cured. It also involves providing advice to clients based on the physiological responses of their body to diet through metabolic pathways (how the energy and nutrients from food is absorbed and used in the human in the body).

Nutrition is focused on the science of nutrients and how they are digested, absorbed, transported, metabolized, stored, and eliminated by the body. Besides studying how food works in the body, nutritionists are interested in how the environment affects the quality and safety of foods, and what influence these factors have on health and disease.

At Naed Nutrition, we know that everyone is different and as such are passionate about personalised nutrition. There is no one size fits all for clean eating, what works for one doesn’t work for some.

Each person has their own goal, their own likes and dislikes with foods, has a different lifestyle, and different health concerns whether it be past or present.

This means that each person receives the nutrition service that will fit them.

Consults will consist of a variety of health, diet and lifestyle related questions with the upmost confidentiality and privacy

We offer a range of personalised services from consults right through to meal plans including as much or as little accountability as required.

Naed Nutrition endeavours to go above and beyond for our clients. For more information of how we can help you achieve your goal simply pop on our website www.naednutrition.com.au or email admin@naednutrition.com.au

Green Tea x 50 is not Green Tea

I have been asked about this supplement on numerous occasions, and come across clients with the misinformation that Green Tea x 50 is green tea. This post will describe how the two items differ.

What is Green Tea?

Green tea is made from Camellia sinensis leaves that have undergone minimal oxidation during processing. 

What does Green Tea contain?

B vitamins, folate (naturally occurring folic acid), manganese, potassium, magnesium, caffeine.

Like any other caffeine containing item there can be side effects with the amount you consume depending on sensitivity levels. These include such as nausea, vomiting, mood changes, restlessness, heart palpitations and insomnia. 

There is 25mg of caffeine per serve
(A regular coffee can contain from 120mg-220mg caffeine per serve)

Benefits of Green Tea

•          Reduce blood pressure
•          Control blood sugar levels
•          Boost metabolism
•          Reduce cholesterol levels
•          Reduce inflammation
•          And much more

What is Green Tea x 50

Green tea x 50 marketed as a concentrated green tea supplement providing you with the benefit of 20 cups of green tea in one serve

What is in Green Tea x 50?

Green Tea Extract (16%) – is mostly safe and is beneficial for boosting metabolism, cancer prevention and reducing LDL cholesterol, it can also causes issue in those with anaemia, diabetics, digestive concerns, mood disorders, glaucoma, liver concerns and osteoporosis just to name a few. Side effects include nausea, vomiting, mood changes, restlessness, heart palpitations and insomnia. There can be a negative interactions with statins, drugs affecting liver enzymes that remove caffeine from your body such as antibiotics, antihistamines and the contraceptive pill. There is 27mg of caffeine per serve

Resveratrol Extract (5.5%) – is mostly safe and for the most part can help reduce LDL cholesterol levels & increase HDL cholesterol levels, however it can interact with some statins, antibiotics, antihistamines, voltaren, Panadol basically any medications that are changed by the liver. This means the medication will take longer to break down increasing the effect AND side effects of the medication

Maltodextrin – natural but highly processed. Generally, maltodextrin comes from corn, rice, or potato starch. It is a carbohydrate. It can affect blood sugar levels and negatively affect your gut flora

Ascorbic Acid - an isolate of Vitamin C and safe to ingest providing there is no allergy to this compound. The amount that is used is not listed and an excess of ascorbic acid is most likely to be diarrhoea as your body excretes the excess.  

Xylitol – is a sugar alcohol general found in small amounts of fruits. Whilst in small amounts pose no risk, in large amounts (amount is not listed on this product) can cause bloating, diarrhoea, spike blood sugar levels, diabetes and promote tumour growth

Citric Acid - is a natural preservative found in citrus fruit. Side effects from this preservative in excessive amounts are nausea, diarrhoea, bloating cramps but can be severe as swelling and tingling in your extremities. It can react with supplements containing calcium, antacids, decongestants, UTI and lithium medications.

Natural Flavours & Colours – this means there are other flavours and colours that do not need to be listed in or named in specific amounts. This will only be a concern if there is an allergy to a paritcular colour or flavour.

Malic Acid – found in apples this will add the sour content to the product and is safe to ingest and mostly used in topical creams, however it has also been found useful for fibromyalgia sufferers.

Alfalfa – is a beneficial herb which can lower cholesterol levels, reducing inflammation and levelling blood sugar levels. It should not be consumed in excess in pregnancy or oestrogen sensitive conditions as it is seen as a phytoestrogen, it can also increase the symptoms of auto-immune diseases.  Medications it may affect include warfarin, contraception pills and immune suppressants

Sucralose- is a synthetic sweetener that the body is unable to metabolise. It is a sweetener which through many studies have should to cause migraines, gastrointestinal issues as well as a possible link to some cancers only in excessive amounts

Pepper – is often used to enhance the absorption rates of some nutrients and a power nutrient. An excess of pepper can affect any medications that are changed by the liver (as listed above)

Fortunately this product lists all ingredients included (anything less than 5% does not have to be listed) and it is recommended at serve 2 serves per day (3g per serve). This product also meets all TGA guidelines & all ingredients are listed are minimal amounts as directed by TGA 


Before consuming any supplement it is important you are aware of the ingredients and it is important to contact your health care professional to help decide whether a product is safe for you. If you have any questions about supplements you are taken please contact Naed Nutrition at admin@naednutrition.com.au

Egg-sposed : Myths & Facts

Are eggs good for you? Are they bad for you? How many is too much? Can I only eat egg whites?

These are things I hear on a regular basis & there is so much misinformation about eggs so I’m going to start clearing it up!

Egg stats

• a large whole egg contains roughly 6g of protein 
• contains choline (essential for cell membrane function, neurotransmission, prevents homosycstine build up), lutein (essential for eye & skin health) and zeaxanthin (carotenoid important for vision) 
• contains just about every vitamin and most minerals (except vitamin C)

Myth: Eating eggs raises your cholesterol levels.

Truth Dietary cholesterol found in eggs has little to do with the amount of cholesterol in your body. Roughly ¼ of your body's blood cholesterol comes from your diet and the other ¾ of blood cholesterol is produced by your body. In fact Saturated and trans fats have much bigger effects on blood cholesterol levels. Studies show that people with high cholesterol, eating one egg a day, have shown no increase in their body’s cholesterol levels.  

Myth: Eggs are better stored on the bench top for better cooking results

Fact: Refrigerating eggs reduces the risk of salmonella & keeps them fresh

Myth: Raw eggs have more protein than cooked eggs

Fact: A large egg contains 6g of protein served raw OR cooked
Fact #2: Cooked eggs have 40% more protein than raw because Biotin (found in eggs yolks) is a b complex vitamin essential for cell growth, the metabolism of fats, and energy production. Raw eggs eliminates biotin because of avidin (found in egg whites) is a biotin binding protein when consumed in its raw form, thus cooking the egg avoids the possibility of biotin deficiency.  

Myth: Egg whites have more protein & nutrients than whole eggs

Fact: FALSE!!!! Egg whites less protein than compared with a whole egg, most of the sodium and very little of anything else. Egg yolks are one of the most nutritious foods known to man! They contain almost all vitamins & minerals our diets require (minus Vitamin C). The whole egg is ALWAYS better from a nutritional point of view, period.

	Whole egg (per 100g)	Egg White (per 100g)
Protein	12.4g	11.6g
Energy	583kJ	204KJ
Fat	9.5g	0g

NUTTAB (2010)

Myth: One egg every day too much

Fact: FALSE; majority of people can’t have too many eggs. Those with significantly high cholesterol would be limited to one a day. Eggs are an amazing source of protein & nutrients that our bodies thrive on.

Great ways to have eggs:

• boiled as a snack 
• scrambled with smoked salmon, spinach tomato & mushrooms for breakfast 
• frittata with vegetables & a side of salad as a quick dinner
• omelette packed full of your favourite vegetables at any meal

If you are struggling to get enough protein in your diet contact us at admin@naednutrition.com.au 

Improve Your Gut Function

You may be eating all the right foods & taking all the right supplements but if your gut function isn’t optimal, you won’t be absorbing very much of what you’re are taking in.  Have you ever spent money on foods/supplements & have seen no effect & felt more run down & lethargic? 

This just may be because you may have a slight (or not so slight deterioration of your gut lining, bowel or intestine.  It may also be because the good bacteria in your gut is so low & your bad bacteria is so high. The increased permeability allows bad bacteria; toxins and some food to leak into the bloodstream which causes the intestinal lining become inflamed and damaged. This leads to a disruption in digestion health & in the normal absorption of nutrients.

How do you know you have poor gut function? Some symptoms are:

·         Bloating

·         Abdominal pain & cramps

·         Food intolerances

·         Some skin conditions  (ie: eczema)

·         Heartburn

·         Fatigue

So what causes poor digestive health?  These include:

·         Alcohol

·         Drugs (prescription or not – particularly anti-biotics)

·         Stress

·         Parasites

·         Candida

·         High consumption of refined sugars

·         Chemotherapy

How do we improve our gut function to increase absorption?

1. Eliminate food sensitivities/intolerances from the diet

· This can be done with a simple food diary & also involve an elimination diet is severe enough.

· These tend to be (but are not limited to) wheat, glutens and dairy.

2. Assist absorption of key nutrients at the gastrointestinal tract mucosa.

Increase

·   Prebiotics: Act as a substrate for probiotics to increase colonisation. Fructo Oligo Saccharides (FOS) rapidly increase bifido bacteria numbers. Soluble fibre is found in almost all CHO foods. Insoluble fibre that ferments in the colon can be found in the raw form of leeks, artichokes, asparagus, onions, garlic, bananas, wheat, rye, and chicory root. These become RS (resistant starch) that produces SCFA’s – butyric acid, propionic acid and acetate fatty acids, which are fuel sources for enterocytes

·   Probiotics:` Organisms which flourish in the intestinal, colonic and rectal environment i.e. lactobacillus acidophilus, lactobacillus bifido and others. Provide immunity, tissue and cellular integrity, promotes effective peristaltic activity for elimination and enhances nutritional absorption and assimilation. Are presently researched for their perceived ability to lower cholesterol, and as cancer prevention. Found in yoghurt, kefir & sauerkraut

·   Glutamine: because the enterocytes that line the intestinal wall are the only cells in the body that ingest nutrients directly from the pre-digested food passing through the intestines, the intestinal cells can absorb it directly, thereby helping themselves to return to normal functional capacity and a return of the gut lining's integrity. Found in beef, chicken, eggs and cabbage

3. Avoid consuming foods that will aggravate your gut & inhibit absorption & digestion. Such as:

·         highly refined carbohydrate rich foods

·         alcohol

·         spicy foods

·         coffee/caffeine

·         citrus fruits

4.Increase dietary consumption of nutrient dense material.

· Omega 3 fatty acids: fish, flaxseeds, avocado, nuts

· Glutamine: Cabbage, bananas, slippery elm, onions, oats, most animal protein sources and dairy

· Flavonoids: Brightly coloured fruits and vegetables e.g. berries, capsicum, apricots, eggplant, plums

· Catechins: Green tea

· Vitamin A (Carotenoid foods): Pumpkin, carrots, pawpaw, squash, green leafy vegetables, dairy, fish liver oils, eggs

· Allicin: Garlic

· Quercetin: Onion & pineapple

· Dietary fibre: fruits & vegetables

Taking these simple steps to increase your absorption, improve your gut bacteria & repair your intestinal membranes will allow more nutrient absorption, more energy & allow you to increase your selection of foods . If you need help with improving your gut function contact us at admin@naednutrition.com.au