Read time: 7-8 minutes

Hello Kat! I know you are probably super busy, but I have a question and I was hoping you could take the time to answer (following your blog all the way from the Netherlands by the way- it’s a great one).

I have recently lost 30 pounds and am now at 60 kg, with a BMI of 20.6; it feels great. I have followed a low-carb way of eating, and have included good fats from the beginning, although in moderation (no coconut oil, no butter). I work out intensively about 5 times per week, but would like to cut it to 4.  I have recently read more about introducing coconut oil, and have started doing so. I must admit though, I am still a little afraid of the fat! Would it be a good idea for me to take it, even while only trying to keep the weight off?

What if I cut down on exercise, should I also cut down on fat? I don’t mind keeping away from grains, potatoes and rice, but I would like to sometimes be able to have a piece of fruit or an ice cream on a summer day or eat sushi with my friends and not be too strict on myself. Would this be a bad combination with all the fat, and should I be more careful on days I know I will have fruit or other treats or eat a bit more carbs than usual? I know it’s a struggle to keep the weight off too, which is why I am looking for tips on how to maintain.

Best regards, Sophie

Hi Sophie. Firstly, congrats on your current clean and healthy approach to eating! It sounds like you’re doing a great job and maybe just need a little help fine-tuning.

The first thing I’d like to say is that I love that you asked if extra fat is too much in combination with extra sugar. As you know, I’m very pro-smart-fats, and to me that even includes some of the most typically offensive fats such as coconut oil or milk, and even saturated animal fat, so long as it’s from grass-fed organic stock. In fact, I’ve had a lot of success over the years teaching people to re-introduce these natural and healthy foods to their diet and noticing their energy skyrocket as their weight plummets. But occasionally I’ve had instances where a client doesn’t get the expected results. On re-examination, the culprit has almost always been sugar. For example, someone might choose a great breakfast such as eggs with organic beef sausages and a side of spinach, but then they add some toast. And perhaps a little sugar in their coffee. Which seems fairly insignificant at face value, but many health experts nowadays believe that it’s not fats which are ‘evil’ but rather excessive amounts of sugar, or the combination of saturated fat with sugar.

Eat Fat To Lose Fat? Yes, Unless You Do This …

Another trend I’ve noticed when people switch to whole foods and to low carb in particular is the sudden embracing of good fats. Whilst it’s normal to initially feel afraid of introducing more fat to your diet, it’s generally not long before I notice that people feel liberated – and SO excited to be ‘allowed’ to freely eat avocado, coconut oil or milk, oily fish, nuts and seeds, and even fattier cuts of meat if it’s organic and grass-fed. This is great, and I love people exploring the joys of real food, but (yeah, it sucks I know – I love real dairy and avocado!) there is such a thing as too much fat. Yes, even if it’s the good type. You know I’m not completely in the camp of ‘it’s all about calories in versus calories out’, but at the end of the day calories do have to be given some consideration, and too much food is just too much food.

Fat – How much is too much?

When eating a clean and paleo-based diet, adequate good fats are crucial for fat loss but also for ideal digestion, energy, and even sleep. I’ve mentioned previously a study that Jonny Bowden talks about in which a failure to eat adequate fat on a high-protein and low-carb diet leads to all manner of illness and poor health.The Dukan diet is a classic example of this.

It would be generalising for me to give you an exact amount of fat grams that you need per day, as  – to a certain degree – you should be able to listen in to what you feel your body needs and go from there. But when the message you’re hearing is ‘don’t stop eating that jar of nut butter until it’s all gone!’, then I guess we have to set some boundaries

I would suggest no more than 40 grams of fat per day for any adult, and up to 90-100 grams for a large and athletic male (for example). Personally I am 60kg, aim for 70 grams of dietary fat per day, and am extremely active. This does NOT include fat from supplements! For example, I take around 25 grams of quality fish oil each day.

According to Coach Nick Mitchell of London’s UP Fitness “Some people won’t get very lean unless they shoot for 20cals per kg of bodyweight regardless of macro breakdown, and within that they will need to carb cycle but that’s another story.”

Less exercise; less food?

Of course reduced exercise can often mean a reduced need for food, but you haven’t mentioned what sort of exercise you’re doing? If you’re doing 3-4 heavy lifting weight sessions (which would be great!), you’re caloric need is far higher than if you’re doing a greater number of lower intensity circuit or cardio-based sessions.

When to break the rules on a low carb diet

I’ll wrap things up by answering your other question, which was whether it’s okay for you to include foods such as fruit, ice-cream, or sushi from time to time. The short answer is YES, of course. I definitely do NOT advocate never eating any foods (hmmm, with the exception of soy and trans fats, which are not really food anyway), although I do notice that people have less desire for true ‘cheat’ foods the healthier they become.

Fruit is definitely fine in a low-cal or low-carb diet, so long as you’re not in the initial bootcamp phase of attacking insulin resistance, but there’s fruit and then there’s fruit. Berries are an excellent fruit when eating low-carb, and so are stone fruits. They’re high in fiber, super high in antioxidants, and taste great as a treat with some full-fat cream or nut butter. Apples and pears are ok as you’re getting leaner. Other fruits do not really belong on a low-carb diet but can be used effectively as part of your cheat meal. As for ice-cream, well I think we both know that ice-cream is not a daily food, but as a treat/cheat meal – for sure You gotta let your hair down from time to time! Likewise, sushi (the rice part) is not something I’d eat daily, but if you’re getting leaner it’s fine post-workout. Seaweed, by the way, is excellent for your thyroid gland and therefore your metabolism.

Sophie you’re most definitely on the right track, and it’s great that you’re thinking about these sort of small but important questions. The key is to eat really well day to day and then relax and enjoy whatever your heart desires when you have a well-deserved cheat meal. Enjoy!

To find out whether you need to go on an insulin-beating boot-camp, consider having a BioSIgnature assessment.

A Word About My Book “Secrets Of Weight Loss Revealed”

I’ve been fortunate enough to receive some wonderful testimonials from readers who have purchased my recent holistic weight loss book and started to apply some of the principles. Here’s what one reader had to say.

Kat Eden’s Secrets To Weight Loss Revealed is a remarkable book providing real guidance to weight loss and long-term health for every individual. In a world where there are so many ‘health secrets’, Kat Eden’s expertise and research cuts through to the core of the matter.

My initial reaction was that this book would test personal accountability and be hard to apply. And yes, it was a little confronting, but it also makes total sense and is an effective empowering tool that is easy to apply. Real health shouldn’t be complex and this book isn’t complex – it’s easy to understand and apply. It helped me to understand why I function the way I do and how I can genuinely improve my situation immediately.

I really liked how the questionnaire directed a re-ordering of the chapters appropriate to me as an individual. It turned the book from ‘just another weight loss book’ to a practical daily handbook.

I also enjoyed the book’s conversational readability and direct approach. The evident research, backing up the author’s stance, is quite an eye opener. It exposes the ‘good food bad food’ foundations that have misled us for so long and explains genuine solutions to the weight loss dilemma.

I thoroughly recommend Secrets To Weight Loss Revealed. It is a positive guide to individual good health that does away with all the myths and provides access to all the benefits and I think it should be compulsory reading for all health professionals, parents and individuals who want answers that work.

Kerrie Gregory, freelance media editor

If you haven’t picked up your copy yet, either click here to read my synopsis and see what I looked like before applying the advice I teach on this blog, or you can just buy now by clicking the button below. You will receive an email with a link to download your copy right away!

PS: Your support not only makes me feel good, but it allows me greater freedom to spend time writing for this blog and working on new ventures for YOU! Thankyou!

Have your question answered on this blog

Do you have any questions for me that you’d be happy to have answered in the form of a blog post? Contact me here or reply in the comments below. I am happy to withhold your name if you prefer. Thank-you!

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Have you ever heard of low-carb eating?

Silly question, right? Of course you have. After all, it’s one of the biggest trends around. And I’m willing to bet that one way or the other you’ve got a fairly definite opinion on the matter. Because whether or not you’ve given low-carb eating a go, and regardless of how fully you understand the science of it all, it’s a controversial topic. In fact, I’d put the low-carb debate up there with oh, vegetarianism vs meat-eating, God vs the big bang or evolution, and the question of whether it’s really the man or the woman’s job to take the trash out.

But here’s the thing. I don’t believe that low-carb eating is a trend, a fad, or a fly-by-night approach to nutrition. In fact, I believe that (when approached correctly) low-carb eating is actually an ideal way to eat for not just weight management, but for optimal health. To sum up, I think that the premise of a high-fat and protein diet being bad for you and a high-carbohydrate diet – even ‘healthy’ carbs – is completely wrong. Let me explain.

the diet heart hypothesis

Many moons ago when I was a young and bright-eyed Personal Trainer I was an avid believer in the diet-heart hypothesis and all it stood for.

What’s the diet-heart hypothesis? Well, it’s the way you most likely eat, or at least the way you’ve been told to eat. It’s what your doctor and the vast majority of health practitioners teach as gospel. It’s the premise that fat and protein are risky as part of a healthy diet, and it’s based on one very important study. This study, which was finished in the 1950’s and conducted by a Mr Ancel Keys, has been quite definitely the greatest single influence on the eating trends of the Western world.  And –in my opinion – is therefore the greatest culprit to point at for continuously rising obesity, heart disease and diabetes.

The diet-heart hypothesis can be summed up by the following points.

• Saturated fat is bad for you and causes heart disease, increased triglycerides and cholesterol
• Protein – especially meat – should be viewed with some element of caution due to its natural fat content
• Foods that contain cholesterol (such as egg) should be treated with the utmost suspicion
• A healthy diet is one rich in plants such as vegetables and fruits, plenty of whole grains, and a moderate amount of lean protein and non-saturated fat

The diet-heart hypothesis has taught us that the answer to weight management and longevity is a controlled high-carbohydrate and low-calorie diet.

If only we’d been given the full picture.

Low-carb as a concept has its origins in a document from early last century titled ‘A Letter On Corpulance’ by a Mr William Banting. Banting was severely overweight, to the point of not being able to tie his own shoelaces. After being sternly admonished by his doctor, Banting put himself on a diet of unlimited meats and fats, with only one piece of bread each day, and some fruit for sugars. He ate green vegetables but not root vegetables. Within a matter of months Banting had declared himself in sounder health than he could recall and had lost a notable amount of weight. His letter on corpulence became famous worldwide.

And so the controversy began. Because despite the fact that the typical pre 1920s Western diet was basically opposite to today, being 90% protein and fat based, and despite the fact that this went hand in hand with diseases such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes being virtually unknown, every low-carb advocate from Banting forwards has been vilified for their beliefs.

I believe this is in great part because the basic concept of low-carb is seriously misunderstood. The key area of contention being the incorrect assumption that low-carb dieting is all about sacrifice, or the removal of certain foods, and another common mistake being the failure to highlight adequate nutrient intake.

Making low-carb work for you: what you put in

In order to successfully undertake a low-carb eating plan and improve not only your waistline but your energy, your mental acuity, your cholesterol ratios and indeed your overall blood work and general well-being, it is important to first focus on what goes in. Of course I’ve touched on this in previous posts, but I’d like to really get down to the nitty gritty of it now.

First Eat This

In my opinion, a healthy low-carb plan should include adequate quantities of the following nutrients.

1. Protein – all forms of animal protein, along with nuts and seeds, legumes, and super-foods such as chia seeds and bee pollen.
2. Smart fats – avocado, full-fat (ideally raw) dairy, the fat from organic meats, omega-3 fatty acids, other quality oils such as coconut oil, flaxseed oil and olive oil.
3. Seasonal green vegetables (raw or steamed, in plentiful amounts)
4. Some fruits (berries are my first choice due to their high antioxidant value; stone fruits are also great)
5. Fiber (both from vegetable and also in supplement form such as psyllium husks or ground flaxseeds). Fiber is essential to healthy metabolism and detoxification.

Avoid Or Minimise This

I hesitate to say never eat a given food (the exception being trans fats, which are not a food). There’s no reason why any sensible eating plan can’t include treats and indulgences in whatever form you choose, particularly if well structured. The following are the ‘foods’ I feel should be treated with caution if health is your goal.

1. Sugars of any kind. Common offenders are low-fat foods high in added sugar, and heavily processed white grains. If you’re not sure if something contains sugar, look on the label for any ingredients ending in ‘ose’. That’s sugar.
2. Excessive grain intake. Personally I do not believe grains are healthy, and every client who takes a 2 week elimination test has this ‘proven’ to them in terms of their digestion and the way they feel. If you do choose to eat grains, home-sprouted is a healthier choice, as even ‘wholegrains’ are only legally required to contain 51% actual wholegrains.
3. Inadequate amounts of food. I’m a fan of occasional fasting when overall food intake is of sound quality, but I definitely don’t advocate calorie restriction on a day-to-day basis. Cutting calories too severely not only makes you feel awful but it can actually lead to weight gain through the release of the hormone cortisol.
4. Too much lean protein and not enough fat. By its very nature a low-carb diet will probably be high in protein. Regardless of how often you eat protein, bear in mind that in nature fat always accompanies protein. There’s a reason for this. I recently read a study in which a high-protein low-fat diet not only restricted weight loss but led to a host of health complaints, whereas the same diet with fat added resulted in sound health and steady fat loss.
5. Processed or well-marketed fad foods. Most well-marketed shakes, bars and balls (especially those with the words ‘energy’ on them!) are absolute rubbish in my opinion. I’d rather go hungry. Real food is where it’s at.

It’s taken me a good 13 or 14 years of education, research and – most importantly – trial and error to come to the point where I now absolutely advocate low-carb eating for the majority of people. I’m quite certain that as the years passed I’ll continue to trial new approaches to eating. My recent research on fasting being a prime example, although something I’m still not 100% sure about. But I can absolutely guarantee you this – there’s never going to come a time when I’d seriously re-consider the idea of processed and farmed foods being intrinsically healthier than foods chosen for their natural existence and seasonal goodness. Wouldn’t you agree?

I hope today’s article has given you some useful food for thought in continuing your own exploration of health, and would love to hear your comments and questions on the matter. Have you tried low-carb? Know someone who has? Keen to give it a go now that you understand how best to tackle it? Get involved below!

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• When To Break The Rules On A Low-Carb Diet

Here’s a sample of the harsh truths this short clip will throw at you -

“If China doubled the size of it’s military it would still cost less than the US spends on obesity each year”

“The average American eats 30 percent more than they did in 1970. You would need to run 5 miles every day of your life to NOT put on weight from that much extra food”

“There’s enough sugar in a daily 4oz glass of juice to add 5 pounds to your waist every year.”

Now if that doesn’t stop you shoving sweet treats down your gullet on a daily basis I don’t know what will!

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• Change Your Kitchen – Change Your Life!
• My Name Is Kat And I’m A Sugar Addict
• The Devil You Don’t Know: Is High-Fructose Corn Syrup Making You Fat?
• How To Curb Your Cravings In 5 Easy Steps

A few weeks back I shared the first 10 Body Incredible foundation principles, and today I’d like to round off that list. I believe that even partially implementing these principles will have you on the way to looking, feeling and functioning at your very best before you can say “hand me the grass-fed organic beef”.

Which basically means that when you put these two posts together (which I’ll soon be doing on a special page for your reference) and you have the basis of everything I believe and teach when it comes to ideal nutrition. A Body Incredible cheat sheet, if you will – and most certainly the first port of call for those occasions when people screw up their noses and wonder why you’re eating such weird and wonderful food and refusing to pound the treadmill for hours upon hours.

So without further ado, numbers 11 through 20 of the Body Incredible Foundation Principles.

11. It’s smarter to pay your grocer than your doctor

Organic foods, quality supplements, gym memberships or personal training, books, memberships and consultations to further your education – none of these things come cheap, do they? But wouldn’t you rather pay your (organic) grocer and butcher now, and invest money in quality supplements, then live a miserable and below-par life and end up forking out the same money anyway on doctor visits? Being healthy costs money, but I believe being unhealthy ultimately will cost you far, far more – and you know I’m not just talking finances.

12. Eating Grains: A Fast Track To Poor health

Sorry to burst your comfort food bubble, but grains? They’re not your friend. And I’m not just talking about the highly processed white fluffy types, but even those oh-so-’healthy’ whole-grains. While conventional wisdom would disagree with me here, I’ve seen enough cases of grain elimination resulting in rapidly improving health and rapidly diminishing waistlines that these days I won’t even consider them as part of a daily food plan. I believe the reason we (or at least, the very vast majority of us) do so poorly on grains is that they are a relatively new part of our diets, being that they’ve only been farmed for approximately 10,000 years. From an evolutionary point of view this is a very short period of time – especially as far as your digestive system is concerned. This is one reason why daily grain intake leads to frequent bloating, stomach upsets, weight issues, and ultimately to increased inflammation and food intolerance. If you do choose to eat grains, they absolutely must be sprouted.

13. The Smartest Carbs for health and weight loss

Cutting out grains such as all forms of cereal, corn, bread, rice, pasta, noodles, baked goods and even super-starchy vegetables (white potato being the obvious offender) does NOT have to mean you need to follow a no or even low-carb diet. Many people forget that vegetables and fruits are excellent sources of carbohydrate, and – what’s more – they’re chock full of nutrients rather than little else than farming pesticides and bloat-inducing phytates. When it comes to carbohydrate, choose seasonal green vegetables in large quantities, enjoy low GI fruits such as berries and stone fruits in small amounts, and incorporate a range of other coloured fruits and veg from time to time.

14. There’s No One Right Way

This one might seem a little contrary to everything else taught here, but it has to be said. If there’s one thing I’ve had driven home to me time and again over the past 11 years helping people, it’s that there is no one way to ideal health. In the same vein, there’s no one right way when it comes to nutrition, to exercise, or indeed to any aspect of our lives and how we achieve success. I’ve heard it said that what works for one person may do nothing for another, and could even harm a third. It’s important to remember this before you get too caught up in the success of a friend on any strict program, and it’s just one reason why you should consider working with on expert on individualised nutrition and hormone assessment. It’s just as important to remind yourself of this truth if you find you’ve hit a plateau and think you’re doing “all the right things”. Even if you are doing a bunch of great things, they’re only good for as long as they’re working for you!

15. Everybody Needs Fish Oil

Even if you eat the very best fresh food organic diet, there are a few basic supplements that you absolutely do need to take daily. For 99% of people, the 4 big guns are zinc, magnesium, a good B-vitamin complex, a multi, and a quality blend of fish oil. If you were living on the land in days of yore you’d naturally eat between 35 and 40 grams of omega 3 essential fatty acids daily. Omega 3’s are essential because your body cannot make them (you have to consume them), and they contribute to every aspect of good health. You can google Omega 3 and either general health or weight loss as well as any ailment or illness you can think of, and you’ll be up to your neck in research in no time. To learn more about Omega 3, check out my previous article on the topic.

16. The Cardio Myth

This has gotta be the biggest load of hoo-ha that is still perpetuated by the health and fitness industry. Cardio – endurance or purely aerobic-based cardio – will NOT help you to lose weight for longer than the approximately 6 weeks it takes your body to adapt to the new stimulus. What’s more, some research even indicates that repetitive cardio such as spin classes actually causes your body to increase fat stores! Personally I’m all for getting your heart rate up, but when it comes to results that are health, fitness and fat loss orientated stick to weight training and the occasional blast of high-intensity interval training.

17. Stress Really Can Make You Fat

You’ve heard the one about stress making you fat, right? Sounds a bit too easy to buy into though, doesn’t it? I mean c’mon – “it’s not my fault I’m fat; I’m just stressed” – it’s a bit of a cop-out. Except, of course, for the very inescapable fact that it’s true. The way it works is that every time you’re placed under undue stress on an ongoing basis (those last 4 words being key) your body releases the hormone cortisol. Cortisol is one of your ‘get-up-and-go’ hormones; its job being to energise you in the morning and also in times of unexpected but short-term stress – such as running for your life and either escaping or, well, not. These days daily stressors such as too much work coupled with financial and relationship pressure lead to the constant release of cortisol, and being that it’s a survival hormone one of its primary jobs is to increase fat storage. There ain’t no fighting that physiology with low-cal or (worse) more cardio!

18. Toxins Are A Primary Reason Why You Can’t Lose Weight

My mentor and the man I most admire in this industry, Charles Poliquin, has a belief that a primary reason for today’s obesity epidemic is the toxic world we live on. When you consider the plethora of toxins we’re exposed to on a daily basis (environmental, chemical, nutritional just to name a few) it’s not hard to agree that he’s on the right track. Especially when you understand that your body deals with toxins by storing them in your fat cells. Out of harms way for sure when it comes to protecting your heart, brain, and other vital organs, but not so helpful if looking hot on the beach is your goal. It’s for this reason that I firmly believe you should control your pesticide and toxin intake where you can, and one of the most powerful ways to do this is by choosing organic foods and environmentally friendly household and beauty products.

19. An Attitude Of Gratitude: The Missing Link To Success

Let me quite clear. There is virtually no way you will ever achieve your goals if you don’t take time to be grateful for what you already have, what you’ve achieved so far, and even for things that you are yet to enjoy. “You get what you think about most of the time” (Brian Tracey). Another way I recently heard it said (credit to Charles Poliquin) is “what you appreciate, appreciates”. I was brought up to say grace before every meal; to give thanks for the food about to be received, and whilst there’s sometimes more ritual than intent behind those words, if you think about it, it really is a beautiful way to start a meal. But why take time only to be grateful for your food (if you even do that)? My suggestion is to take just 5-10 minutes every morning or evening to think about or record the things you’re grateful for from the day before. You can most definitely be grateful for things that are still underway or yet to happen. Do it for 30 days and I promise you’ll be a convert – if nothing else it’s an incredibly powerful way to frame your thoughts for the hours ahead of you, but what I think you’ll notice is a slow increase in all the things you have to be grateful for.

20. Community counts!

Whew! 20 health principles is a lot, and making the effort to incorporate even 1-2 of these concepts into your life each day can be hard work at first. So why do it alone? Community counts, and it really does help to surround yourself with people who are like-minded in their approach to health and want to see you succeed. This doesn’t mean avoid contact with all people who have different views to you! But it sure is a good reason to visit this blog regularly and even to get involved with myself and with other readers through the comments section and (upcoming) members section. Having a ‘team’ – even if it’s one you may have never met – will make getting to your goals so much easier. And don’t be afraid to share those goals! My goals for this blog are not only to educate, inspire and support you through your journey, but also to keep me accountable to my own health goals and to future learning, and to open new visitors up to the truth(s) about good nutrition and healthy living. Every time you read a post here you support me in those goals; every time you share a post you support me as well as yourself and your friends, and every time you comment or otherwise get involved you’re also making yourself accountable to me and to other Body Incredible readers. Body Incredible is a community created expressly for those purposes. But you know what? I may have had the idea; I may be the one who posts most of the time, but without you I’d just be another lost and lonely blogger. This is your community, so make sure you use it!

That’s a long post, so thanks for sticking around for all of it. But now – over to you. I’d like to publish this post (joined with the first 10 principles) as a ’start here’ sort of page on this blog, and need to make sure I haven’t missed anything. What would you add to this list?

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Today’s post is a guest post by Channing Morales. WARNING! Don’t read this unless you’re ready to stop making excuses about what it takes to look, feel and function your very best!

In recent months I’ve had many people ask me what we eat now and even more people say “you have a lot of time on your hands” – which leads me to admit that I probably prioritize differently to MAKE time for these changes… and my quest is to make the steps to better health EASY and not so time consuming. Believe me, we have just as little time as the next family, with children and both working… and we’re probably on a tighter budget – I can almost guarantee that.

The way we eat is actually pretty simple: get away from processed food. We still have our ‘cheat’ ravioli’s from Costco which are an easy cook up but they are minimally processed with no added sugars. Ice cream (until I get a food processor) and chocolate covered pretzels still make their way into the kitchen as well… I’m human people!

So here is what I tell my clients when they ask about food. I’m not a nutritionist, but I know more about nutrition than the last dietitian I conversed with 2 weeks ago… so I know my $%^t folks… and feel free to add your knowledge too especially if its congruent with a traditional real food omnivore lifestyle.

FIRST and most important: eliminate EVERYTHING with the ingredient High Fructose Corn Syrup or Corn Syrup – this is the #1 thing that leads to stored body fat… it DOES not metabolize, even after a workout and just gets stored as BAD fatty tissue. This means any processed food containing HFCS – salad dressings included and I’ll give you a recipe for an awesome dressing that is good on EVERY salad.

Second: Make sure your refrigerator is STOCKED all the time with things to make a salad… this will also force you to get creative and hit up the produce aisle a little more – pick out everything GREEN you can find: avocado, broccoli, sugar snap peas, cabbage, peppers, onion, edamame (its good soy), cauliflower, cucumber, spinach, romaine, red leaf lettuce to start. Mushrooms, zucchini and squash, and asparagus cook up really quickly for a side to any meal.

Third: Eliminate useless grains: chips, bread, wheat pasta, white rice, cereal (waste of calories) Substitute: quinoa (keen-wa), SPROUTED bread (your grocer will help you find this), gluten free/rice pasta, oatmeal and brown rice as your healthier grains only to accompany meals in small portions (appx 1 cup), potatoes. Grains can be debated with my paleo friends – but yes, too much leads to stored fat as well.

Fourth: Get free range eggs (not cage free), free range chicken, and grass fed meats. I know they are a little expensive (note from Kat: wouldn’t you rather pay your grocer/butcher than your doctor?!) but some could argue that “animal protein causes cancer” -it could contribute to the promotion of cancer IF it’s industrialized and grain/soy fed. “The China Study” completely lacks in any information regarding WHERE the meat comes from (which is a whole ‘nother story). One of the rib-eye fillets will be good for 2 meals.These can be found at Whole Foods or Henry’s markets – or at a farmer’s market. YES – grass fed meats are expensive – but so are doctors bills, so pick your battle!

Fifth: Try picking up some good quality dairy cheeses like raw milk cheddar, raw/pastured butter, Greek yogurt (with the fat – it’s high in protein which will metabolize the fat), feta (with the fat), raw milk – QUIT WITH LOW FAT/FAT FREE BS.

Sixth: keep these things on hand: sea salt, almonds! coconut oil, cold pressed olive oil, raw sugar, cinnamon, raw honey, grapeseed oil, organic peanut butter (not fortified with Omega), tons of spices, rice vinegar, fresh garlic and basil, organic jelly and ketchup (if you can’t live without it) and seasonal fruits.

Eliminate soda and juices too… that’s just wasted calories and SUGAR. Even gatorade has tons of HFCS in it! Coffee is FINE with raw sugar, cinnamon and some raw cream/milk.

I’ll add to the list later but these small steps are easy and will start you in the right direction.

Making a quick exit while I’ve got it on the brain : FAT DOES NOT MAKE YOU FAT.

Live Well.

Thanks Channing! Channing is a new friend of mine and shares many of my beliefs on nutrition and healthy living. She’s also been an invaluable help with some of my mothering battles, as her beautiful bubba is a few months older than mine. This little ‘rant’ is something she posted on Facebook, and it really grabbed me. I hope you’ve enjoyed it as well! Connect with Channing on Twitter, or visit her over at Fitorbit.com.

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• When To Break The Rules On A Low-Carb Diet
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I made a confession last week. If you missed it you can check out the post over here, but the long and short of it is that I came out as a sugar addict. It’s an affliction that’s more common than you’d think and yes, on occasion it has even the most health conscious amongst us under its grip.

I believe that addiction to sugar goes well beyond the mere physical ability to resist temptation. When it comes to beating your cravings you need more than just a healthy dose of willpower. You need real nutritional and psychological strategies to combat what is a very real nutritional deficiency and psychological sticking point.

The Science Of Sugar Addiction

The desire to not only eat something sweet but to consume as much as you can get your grubby little hands on is something that harks back many years. Specifically, to a time when survival meant hunting, gathering and occasionally going without or risk being ravaged by a wildebeest. And even when food was readily available it certainly wasn’t available on a choice basis. You got what you were given. Natural sugars such as fruits and even vegetables are very much seasonal foods, meaning that our evolution has not included them on a daily or even weekly or monthly basis. There are two clear implications here when it comes to sweet foods and the effect they have on your physiology.

1. We are designed to eat as much carbohydrate (sugars) as possible when they come into season – which is typically in Summer. Traditionally this is how we would prepare for the cold months ahead, in which food may be limited.

2. The obvious follow-on from this is that our very physiology is such that when we start eating sugar our brain sends a message telling us to keep eating it for as long as it’s available. In the ‘real’ world this is an important way of keeping us alive and providing us a necessary layer of stored body fat.

So we’re programmed to eat sugar for as long as it’s available. Now is it just me, or is that the scariest freakin’ thing you’ve heard all year? I don’t know about you, but in my world sugar is pretty much always available. I’ve got 7-Eleven over the road from home (not to mention my partner’s pretty dubious shopping habits), the city’s best candy store downstairs from my work, packets and packets of the stuff surrounding me whenever I fuel my other big addiction (no prizes for guessing), and let’s not even get started on the David Jones foodhall and its chocolate-bullet-y goodness temptation.

This is really going to freak you out

It gets worse. Not only are you programmed to eat sugar for as long as it’s available – an obvious reason for why even ‘healthy whole-grain’ carb-addicts find it tough to break the cycle – but your brain sends out even more urgent messages for you to keep eating when you choose a form of sugar that is completely unnatural or nutrient-deficient. Real forms of sugar such as fruit and honey contain nutrition, and your body knows that. When you choose to fuel yourself with sweetness but no nutrition follows, your body feels tricked. And responds with an instant demand for more. And I’m talking more more MORE. Not that I really have to tell you that though, do I?

Ending The relationship

Breaking free of sugar could very well be one of the toughest things you ever do. The rewards should be obvious, but I’ll shout ‘em out anyway.

• Gaining a sense that you’re in control of your food choices, your body, and your health
• Living longer (insulin, released every-time you eat sugar or carbs, is the aging hormone and being resistant to insulin is directly linked to how long you might live)
• Reducing risk of x-syndrome metabolic disease such as diabetes, as well as obesity and heart disease risk
• Weight loss
• Clearer and brighter skin
• Improved energy and balanced moods
• Creating healthy habits for a healthier life

Personally I tend to be very much an all or nothing kind of gal. I might struggle for the first day or two of going 100% clean, and then it becomes fairly easy to say no. I credit this very much to the foods I choose to put in instead, rather than simply to having iron willpower (I don’t). But it works both ways – give me a cheat meal in which I indulge in cheesecake, chocolate pudding, or anything else sugar-laced and I find it really really tough not to just keep going the next day. On occasions this has led to days if not weeks on end of eating well at my meals but snacking on rubbish in between. Fortunately – and despite the fact that it has taken me the better part of a decade – there are a few solid techniques I now use to keep me on track and also allow me to enjoy the occasional indulgence.

Protein and fat at each meal

Failure to eat adequate protein and fat is a sure-fire way to set yourself up for sugar cravings and a carb rollercoaster. Be sure to start the day with animal protein and smart fats (nuts, avocado, coconut oil), and include the same at each meal.

Never get over-hungry

Unless you’re actually fasting, avoid letting yourself get starving. You know that’s when you’re at your weakest. If a meeting or other appointment is going to mess up your meal-times then be prepared by carrying a portable protein-based snack.

Snack right

I’m more in favour of mini-meals (small serve of meat and green veg) than actual snacks, but if you do choose to snack always make it protein-based. Eating low-fat yogurt and/or fruit for a snack might sound healthy but really it will just make you crave more sugar. Choose full-fat organic dairy, hard-boiled eggs, nut butters with berries, or coconut oil mixed with raw cacao and I guarantee you’ll last through to dinner easily.

Smart supplementation

If you really just can’t seem to break the cravings try this. Mix a teaspoon of high-grade glutamine (an amino acid that boosts the immune system and supports fat loss) with a teaspoon of full-fat cream. You can take this up to every hour to combat cravings. I’ve had clients absolutely swear by it. I’d also recommend taking fish oil capsules to combat cravings as well as manage blood sugars (and for a bunch of other health reasons!)

Control the situation

Breaking your sugar habit is as much psychological as it is nutritional. It will take you a few weeks of following new snack and meal habits before it really becomes automatic, so in the meantime you need to control the situation. If that means skipping social events or workplace morning teas for a few weeks, so be it. If it means leaving a room to get away from tempting treats, or jumping in the shower or brushing your teeth to avoid nipping out to 7-Eleven, so be it. It’s worth making the effort to break those old habits as you reach toward your goal of a healthier you who is in control of their food choices.

Get Support

You may find it helps to enlist the help and accountability of a like-minded friend. I often do a low-carb or no-sugar bootcamp alongside my sister or a friend, and it really makes a difference to know you have to answer to someone. You may also like to consider working with a health coach such as myself, either through group health telecoaching (starts Wed July 14th; one space left!), or by working your way through an appropriate support guide and resource such as my new holistic weight loss book (yes, shameless plug, but I’d also be keen to hear about any other resources that have worked for you!)

Those are my top tips and the ones which work for me time and time again, but I’d love to hear your input. What works for you?

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Read time: 5-7 minutes

It may surprise you to learn that even after 11 years as a health & fitness professional I still battle with my sugar addiction. Maybe not daily, but I’d say at least weekly. Old habits die hard, and considering that many experts believe sugar to be 10x more addictive then heroin, this is hard. Hard to beat. Example? Just this morning while clearing out the spare room I came across 3 Minties stuffed into a bag of junk and was this close to eating them. I saw them and I wanted them. Never mind that even the wrappers looked slightly moldy and never mind that it was 7am and I hadn’t even had breaky.

The thing is, I know exactly which day to day choices set me up for dietary failure, and which allow me to stay strong to the point of not even thinking about scoffing down whatever sweet goodies I can get my mitts on. Yet still I let myself get into situations where resolve is low and temptation is high. And sure, life isn’t about trying to be perfect and never indulge but there’s a difference between consciously choosing a treat to enjoy and savour and chowing down on half a kilo of chocolate bullets because you just can’t stop at one.

It’s not your fault you’re addicted to sugar

If sugar in all it’s many ‘oses’ has got you by the short and curlies then you may be somewhat mollified to learn it’s not entirely your fault. According to author David Gillespie, who lost 8kg simply by cutting out so-called healthy foods like juice, muesli bars and the like, sugar really is the devil and it would seem we’ve all long ago sold our souls. In his book Sweet Poison, David argues the following.

“When we eat the fructose component of sugar – unlike when we eat any other forms of energy – our bodies do not release the three major appetite hormones that tell us we are full: insulin, leptin and cholecystokinin (CCK). Instead it goes straight to the liver where it often stays – converted into fat.”

Personally I am fully on board with the anti-sugar movement. I believe that ideal health and weight comes about from choosing foods in their natural state, and with a particular focus on proteins and smart fats. People argue that it’s wrong to vilify an entire food group, but can we really call sugar food? In nature, processed sugar simply does not exist, and even natural sugars such as fruits are purely seasonal and therefore a very small part of a traditional diet. As Charles Poliquin says, the only sugar a typical cave-woman would come across is the occasional honey hive, and you gotta fight the bees for that!

Can’t stop at one?

These days no such limitations apply. The idea of eating foods only according to what the land would have provided, or according to their seasonal availability, is something most of us haven’t even considered. As far as we’re concerned it’s summer all the time, and 7-Eleven is the promised land. And with clever marketing and ‘healthy organic treats’ confusing even the most quality-conscious amongst us, can we really be blamed for being addicted to a substance that is almost literally forced upon us at every turn? Of course at some point we have to either give up on ever reaching ideal health and weight, OR – maybe we simply have to toughen up and take responsibility. The choice is yours, but before you go – some final food for thought.

How To Stay Addicted to Sugar

1. Be sure to start the day with some whole-grain toast accompanied by the spread of your choosing. Make sure you have a coffee or two on the side. Go on – one teaspoon of sugar won’t hurt. It’s not as though it would set you up for cravings later in the day or anything!

2. Even better – skip the food and just load up on caffeine with hazelnut flavouring. Yummy.

3. Hit the gym. But don’t waste your time with any of those tiresome weights. Churn out a good 40-60 minutes of hard-core cardio and wait for the carbs to start calling your name. Don’t even think about shortening your cardio routine or making it over so it’s actually geared toward fat loss.

4. Eat something healthy for lunch, like a chicken salad. But since you kept things so clean, reward yourself with a nice low-fat muffin afterwards. Or maybe a chocolate bar. Hey, even a hot or iced chocolate will do! I’m sure there’s nothing to the theory that high protein PLUS high sugar causes insulin resistance and increased heart disease. Is there?

5. Know your priorities. Instead of preparing healthy meals and snacks for the next day – like a couple of boiled eggs and some raw nuts and seeds – sit back and enjoy Desperate Housewives. Don’t even bother getting up during the ads – I’m sure you’ll make time in the morning.

6. But then again, it’s probably better that you just hit snooze, roll over, and enjoy a few more minutes shut-eye while you have the chance. It’s not as though you really need to bring your own food to work – you can nip out and find something healthy when hunger hits.

7. Be sure to go with the flow at the office and at home. After all, it would just be plain rude to refuse taking part in workplace birthday celebrations, or after-work drinks and nibbles. It’s much better to go with the flow – regardless how far up the sugar-stream it carries you.

8. Be smug about saying no to soft drinks and the like, and happily enjoy your low-fat yogurt. Ignore the fact that the anti-fat movement has long since been labeled the biggest nutritional mistake of the past century and that our processed food diet is just making us fatter and fatter. After all – it’s just logical to choose low-fat packaged foods over full-fat foods in their natural state. Right?

9. Ignore the fact that hormonal imbalance could be controlling your weight, your energy, and your cravings and just keep battling to get in shape through the old calories in vs calories out approach. I’m sure that’ll do it. After all, it works for everyone else, doesn’t it?

Can you think of anything I’ve missed? What works/doesn’t work for you?

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If you’ve left your options open as to what sort of training you’ll be doing today – or (gasp!) are thinking you might even have a day off from the gym – then this circuit just might hit the spot. It’s nothing fancy but it will work every muscle in your body, get you sweating and pumped for the rest of the day, and the best part is it will only take you 25 minutes so long as you don’t faff around socialising or day-dreaming in between sets. I know, I know, not that you’d ever do that. Just saying.

Part One

1. DB flat bench press – elbows angled 45 degrees down. 12-15 x 4-second reps. Be sure to keep your belly button drawn toward your spine – don’t be lazy just because you’re on a bench!
2. DB one arm bent-over row, split stance. Keep it simple by using the same weights as exercise one, and just use the dumbell rack in front of your bench to lean on, same side foot as lifting arm forward. 12-15 x 4-second reps on each arm.
3. Shoulder-height cable wood chops. I used a rope today, just for variety. 10-12 reps each side, 3 seconds per rep.

Repeat x 4, 10-30 seconds rest between rounds.

Part Two

1. Barbell dead lifts, underhand grip (for variety). 10-12 x 5 second reps.
2. Overhand wide-grip lat pulldowns. Retract with your shoulder-blades first. 10-12 x 4 second reps.
3. 45 degree leg press. 10-12 x 4 second reps.
4. Swissball jacknifes, feet only on ball. 10 x 3 second reps.

Repeat x 4, 10-30 seconds rest between rounds.

If you still have time to spare, grab that swiss ball again and do 3 sets of hamstring curls, 10 reps only, but only 10 seconds rest between sets.

Part Three

Leave the gym with a spring in your step and the smug knowledge that you did more work in less than 30 minutes than many social gym-goers manage in a week.

Today’s read: Why You Should Avoid Organic Eggs

Full article read time: 7-10 minutes

This article blew me away. I’ve never even considered the idea that organic store-bought eggs could be tainted by chlorine baths and the absorption of other toxic chemicals as part of the cleaning process, but apparently it’s standard practice. You don’t even really need to read the full article to know that this is definitely not a good thing.

So what to do?

Pretty simple. This sort of unacceptable food-handling is just another reason to support local produce and shop only with a reputable online delivery service, or at your local farmer’s market where you can personally inquire as to the handling of your food (or see for yourself that your eggs don’t look overly clean on the outside!)

If you have any inside knowledge on food handling/treatment please comment below. I can’t believe I never thought of something like this and often use to use the supermarket as an organic food fall-back, but definitely no longer!

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The battle to keep control of your health through the cold winter months tends to be a little tougher than usual, doesn’t it? As soon as the cold hits (and oh how it’s hit this past week in Melbourne!) I know I start dreaming of porridge … and pancakes … and lumberjack breakfast … and scones with jam and cream. Excuse me for a moment while my mind wanders into a happy carb-filled place.

The scary thing is that it’s all too easy to start justifying. After all, one ‘cheat’ breaky won’t hurt, will it? And those scones aren’t so very big really … plus it’s raw cream … it’s really almost completely healthy! I don’t know about you but I’m an all or nothing sort of girl. I have to face facts – I’m just not very good at stopping at one. One piece of chocolate, one teen-tiny cupcake with butter icing (OMG by the way on that), one plate of pasta, or – most worryingly – one meal or day of debauchery. Once the carb-loading begins it just keeps going, and sometimes it takes me a good week or so to reign myself back into good habits. I know I’m not alone here, which is why I thought I’d share two great links with you. The first is an awesome recipe for no-carb pasta (I’d add some quick-fried backstrap lamb or chicken to this recipe), and the second is a really brilliant article about staying in shape over winter. It’s a very good read, mainly because it’s straight from the heart and easy to relate to when it comes to sneaking in those extra ‘comfort’ cals.

link love

Yummy No-Carb Pasta Recipe (from my friends over at Miss Organic … okay, there’s a little carb but no STARCH which is what actually matters!)

Do You Know How Much You Are Eating (Really)? (from Schkinny Maninny)

your turn

Do you have any tricks or tips you could share on staying in shape when cold weather melts away your summer resolve? Oh – and if you’re reading from outside Aus, then consider this your preparation for your winter, or simply extra motivation for keeping that bikini bod ready to go all year round!

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There’s nothing worse than dragging yourself out of bed (after hitting snooze 3 or 4 times) to face a long and tiring day when all you really feel like doing is putting the pillow over your head and maybe surfacing around midday for a nice cafe brunch. But let’s face it. There’s only so many mental health days you can realistically get away with, and honestly – would you really feel so great about life or yourself anyway if you actually did follow your morning instincts?

A far better choice is to take action to boost your morning energy. I guarantee this will also improve your mood and ultimately your motivation to (enthusiastically!) get through the day ahead. Here’s a few ideas that have worked wonders for me. In fact, I’d go so far as to say I actually am a morning person now, and I really never thought that would happen!

1. Try a salt water re-boot

This tip will re-boot your adrenal (stress) glands, and give you a hearty dose of vital minerals. At night, simply stir a decent pinch of real (pink, grey or black organic) sea salt into a tall glass of water. Drink it first thing on arising. If you’re quite toxic you may experience a detox reaction, so stay close to a toilet for at least 10 minutes! This won’t happen on an ongoing basis, and may not happen at all. More likely you’ll just notice that morning fog clear and a welcome energy boost.

2. Get things moving with a dose of fiber and lemon

Freshly squeezed lemon in warm water is an old trick for improved morning digestion. Actually there’s not really any science behind the idea, but it works for nearly everyone and that’s good enough for me! You can add lemon to your salt water, or use a second glass – two glasses of water first thing is preferable anyway. If you really want to get things moving and enhance toxin removal, add 2 rounded teaspoons of a quality fiber. I’d do this in just half a glass water and then follow with another big glass.

3. Avoid eating 2 hours before bed

Food in your belly right before bed will reduce your quality of sleep and leave you feeling grump – possibly even hungover – come morning. If your body is focused on digestion you won’t be able to produce growth hormone (GH) whilst asleep, and considering GH is vital to a healthy metabolism I’d say it’s best to go to bed a little hungry.

4. Keep the room completely dark

Your sleeping environment is absolutely paramount to the quality of sleep you enjoy and therefore to your overall energy and health. I read a study in which simply shining a small red light behind the knee of a person caused melatonin production to drop and cortisol production to increase. Not good. Use an eye mask if necessary.

5. Maintain a comfortable temperature during sleep

It’s also important that you don’t become too warm whilst asleep. A cosy electric blanket or night-time heater is appealing when getting into a cold bed but you know how yucky you feel waking in a too-warm room – your head pounds and you feel as though your whole body has been left out to dry. Set the heater on a timer, and avoid the electric blanket altogether unless you like the idea of constant radiation whilst sleeping. If it’s summertime, use a slow fan. The noise might even help you sleep!

6. Move that ass – preferably outdoors

No excuses – as soon as you get out of bed chuck your shoes on (leave PJs on if necessary!) and take a quick 5-10 minute walk around the block. An alternative is to do 5-10 minutes of bodyweight squats, lunges, push ups in your garden or on your balcony. Unless you’re unfortunate enough to live right next to a sewerage plant, morning air – no matter how cold – will definitely clear your head and the accompanying exercise will leave you feeling exhilarated for hours.

7. Take 10 minutes to consider the day ahead

This is my favourite morning habit, and one I really wish I made time for more often. I like to combine a cup of quality java (which, as we recently learned, is lowering my heart disease risk!) with 10 minutes of journalling or just staring into space and thinking. I think it was Ghandi who said “I have so much to do today that I don’t have time not to spend an hour on my knees”. Another quote I love is  “the unexamined life is not worth living” (who said that?). You get the idea. Take some time to consider what’s important to you today; what would you have to do to feel great about the day and I guarantee you’ll feel great for it.

How ’bout you? What works for you in the early hours?

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