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Are you curious about plant-based eating? Just know you don't need to give up your favorite chicken curry or cheeseburger to do it! Explore how this flexible and friendly approach to eating can boost your health, sustainability, and overall well-being.
Pre-diabetes is a rising problem in New Zealand with almost 20% of New Zealand Adults being affected. The rising rates of pre-diabetes are strongly influenced by our environment, which encourages the consumption of processed foods and the harmful effects of a sedentary lifestyle.
Nico has seen great success in his career by skipping the fads and concentrating on what truly creates long-term behaviour change with his clients. He swears that habits are the backbone of success.
Our lucky clients get to work with Nico and his strategic view on how they can make the most effective changes in their lives. Deprivation has no place here, it's all about creating an enjoyable routine that makes the biggest impact on your health goals.
Read below to see how Nico helped a client change her quality of life within 7 months through habit change. And you know what? It all started with a 10min walk.
In plain English, it’s something we do every day, almost without thinking.
To maintain a healthy lifestyle through the years we need to make it a habit. So, it stops being a struggle to become the way you live.
We are going to go through three simple concepts that will help you create healthy habits:
Focus on what you can control
Start small
Act then change.
When it comes to our health this is something I hear daily:
“ I have no time to cook healthy”,
“ The weather is not helping”,
“ I can’t make time to go to the gym (because of (location/price/motivation)”
We are also constantly looking for perfection, waiting for the ideal day to start taking action.
“Next Monday I will start my workout routine”,
“After Christmas, I will start dieting, there’s no point starting now”,
“It’s almost the end of the year, next year I will focus on my health resolution”
DO THESE RESONATE? It definitely resonates with me.
Truth is that we are making up excuses, instead of focusing only on what is under OUR CONTROL and doing something about it. How do you get out of this loop of excuses when it comes to being healthier?
First, stop thinking about the “healthy diet” as a restrictive and temporary diet that has a start and finish date. A healthy diet should be your lifestyle, not restrictive but balanced. So you can start working on it TODAY.
Second, focus on what you can control. You can’t control the weather or a flight cancellation at the last minute, but you DEFINITELY can look for options to exercise at home or find a healthy food option.
If you feel you don’t have time to cook, you only need to dedicate two hours of your time to cook for the whole week. So maybe it’s only a matter of better time management and organisation.
Again, focus on your sphere of control and what can you change to create your healthy habit and reach your goal.
Your Sphere of Control:
Sometimes you may feel you can influence the way things go, that is, you feel in control. But other times you may feel that you have no control over how things go, that is, you feel out of control.
The degree to which people feel in control over how things go in their lives is often studied as a feeling of “locus of control”, an important concept in psychological research.
The spheres of control are a more sophisticated way of studying locus of control, because people may feel in control in one domain but not in another.
The spheres of control scale distinguish three spheres:
Sphere 1: Circle of Control: things are 100% under our control: our actions, what we do/ what we don’t do / how we react.
Sphere 2: Circle of Influence: the concerns we can do something about, directly or indirectly. For example, how my kid behaves, the work environment, etc.
Sphere 3: Circle of concern: Things we have no control over or influence over, for example, the weather or political decisions (if we are not a politician, of course).
Sphere of control
We need to focus all our energy on the things we can control and influence. And the things out of our control, we need to accept and let them go! Acceptance does not mean that you like it or approve, it means that you recognise the reality of a situation and do not resist it or deny it.
Acceptance is not easy. While we are able to list what we could control and influence, we struggled emotionally to accept what is outside of our control/influence. Once you let go of those things you can’t control, you will feel lighter and more in control of your life.
Once we clearly identify what we can do, we start but start small and patient.
Habits take time to master. According to science, developing a new habit takes around 200 days and not 21 days as you can see in some magazines. Of course, every person learns at a different pace, be gentle to yourself.
By saying this I want to show that incorporating a new habit takes effort, consistency and (again) daily PRACTICE. This is where working with a nutritionist can help. Fortnightly support, alternative options and above all - accountability to help you through your habit formation journey.
Think about stuff such as brushing our teeth, having a shower every day, having a coffee every morning, checking social media etc. Easy, right? because we do this automatically: it’s a habit.
If your goal is to be healthier, you need to build healthy habits. Does this need to be something complex? Hell no! even a 5 min action will make a HUGE difference. Read the client case below to see what small habits grow into.
If your goal is to eat healthier, start with one meal a day. Don’t change your entire menu from one day to another, this will make it really hard for you to maintain. Start small and be consistent. That’s the key. Overeat at dinner? JUST focus on portion sizes at dinner time for a week, then go from there.
This is something I talk to my clients about A LOT.
This small action we talked about it doesn’t have to be perfect. A simple swap of a portion, a small reduction of a portion.
Your goal might be to eat the necessary amount of protein per day but you can start by adding more protein to one meal. It will not be enough but it’s better than yesterday. And from there you keep building up.
I worked with a female client who had the following concerns:
Lack of concentration
Poor memory
Difficulty making decisions
Chronic fatigue/lethargy
Prone to pain when it's cold
Hair loss
Constant watery eyes
Fluid retention
Mood swings before her period
Menstrual pain and breast pain
Constant cravings
Binging on food and alcoholic beverages
Stress level from 1-10 was 10
Sleep problems from time to time
Trouble relaxing
In our first consultation, she said to me: “Nico, I want to lose weight but I don’t want to make many sacrifices in my diet, and that includes exercise too, I don’t like exercising”
My client needed to focus on the things she enjoys, and then we started small and built from there.
Long story short, in 7 months without a restricted diet my client was able to lose 7kg, more than 8cm of waist and 6cm of hip circumference, also:
“This all started with a 10min walk around the block and adding 1 portion of protein to her current eating habits.”
Recovered her confidence and stamina,
Reduced stress levels,
Improved digestive issues,
Improved sleep,
Improved energy levels,
Reduced menstrual pain
Learnt how to deal with cravings
We worked together on applying systematically small habits and once she mastered them, we picked another one. At the end of the 7 months, she incorporated strength training 3 times a week and high-intensity training two times a week plus 7000 steps a day and hitting her protein targets. This all started with a 10min walk around the block and adding 1 portion of protein to her current eating habits. See? She understood the importance of taking action and starting small but consistently, she went from a fixed mindset to an open mindset.
Remember…
“An imperfect action beats a perfect inaction every single time “and this is applicable to any aspect of your life.
If you want to work with Nico, he is available online here. If you want to know more about what Nico does, check out his profile and available hours here.
World Iron Awareness Week, held 22 – 28 August this year, raises awareness across the globe on the importance of dietary iron and how to recognise the key signs and symptoms of low iron status. Now each year, we love to highlight the benefits of having optimal iron levels. But in all honesty, it can be a bit of a minefield navigating all the information. How do we keep it interesting for you? We’ve decided to share the key facts and background information that were highlighted this year.
Did you know that The World Health Organisation estimates that one billion people worldwide suffer from iron deficiency? Mind-blowing. Here in Aotearoa, iron deficiency is an ongoing issue, with many unaware they have low iron status. Iron deficiency rates have more than doubled in the last 13 years here in New Zealand.
Iron is a small but mighty mineral. It is a vital component for haemoglobin (more on this below), necessary for cellular function, good health and wellbeing. There are three primary roles of iron within the human body.
To transport oxygen around the body.
We all know how vital oxygen is; every cell in our body needs it to function. Haemoglobin is an iron-rich protein that facilitates oxygen transport to the tissues from the lungs.
Enable a healthy immune system
Now more than ever, the health of your immune system has been in the spotlight. Did you know that we need adequate iron stores to help our immune cells fight off infections?
Provide energy
To enable your body to produce energy from food, iron is essential for those chemical reactions to occur to utilise the energy available.
Yes everyone needs iron. Iron plays a vital role in cellular function, so it is important for everyone to eat iron-enriched foods. However, there are a few populations that require higher iron needs.
Infants, children, and teenagers
Iron is essential for brain development and growth from the early years through to adolescence.
Pregnant women
Iron is required to support the increased blood levels during pregnancy and to help build the baby’s iron stores.
Girls and women
During the reproductive years, females require a more significant amount of iron to support monthly blood loss during menstruation
Athletes and very active people
Iron is required to facilitate the transportation of oxygen around the body during high-intensity exercise.
People on restrictive diets
During dieting, inadequate amounts of iron may not be consumed to support levels.
Iron deficiency symptoms are closely associated with being ‘unwell’ or having a ‘busy lifestyle’, so it is essential to monitor your symptoms. If the consumption of iron is inadequate for a long time or during the vulnerable stages of life, iron stores within the body can become depleted and lead to low iron status. Having one or more of the following symptoms could indicate low iron status but be sure to contact your GP for the relevant blood tests to be sure.
Feeling tired or lethargic, lack of physical strength (tire quickly)
Irritable or grumpy
Frequent infections (impaired immunity)
Impaired thermoregulation (feel the cold easily)
Reduced appetite
Impaired brain function (lack of concentration)
The World Health Organisation estimates that one billion people worldwide suffer from iron deficiency [1]. This is mind-blowing. Let's break it down a little.
8 out of 10 toddlers do not meet the recommended daily intake of iron [2]
At seven months, a baby needs more iron than its dad [3]
Iron is crucial for brain development in babies and toddlers
14% of children under the age of two are iron deficient [4]
Over 1/3 of teenage girls do not achieve their daily iron requirements [5]
1 in 14 New Zealand women are low in iron [5]
You can obtain iron from many food sources, but the bioavailability (iron that can be absorbed and utilised) varies across different foods. So consuming iron nutrient-dense foods is important, but what foods contain iron? There are two categories of iron-rich foods: Haem and non-haem.
Haem iron foods (15-20% absorbed)
Beef, lamb, liver, kidney, pork, venison, mussels, and oysters.
Non-haem iron foods (5-12% absorbed)
Bread, breakfast cereals, beans and lentils, eggs, nuts, fruit, and vegetables.
It's one thing to eat iron-containing foods, and it's another to have your body absorb iron. Knowing that the body absorbs haem and non-haem iron via different pathways is essential and we have a few top tips to help you improve your iron intake and aid absorption.
You will love your vegetables more when we tell you they actually help you absorb more of the iron from your food by up to four times. Now that is a win. So eat your red meat and vegetables together.
We all love a bit of ‘Split Enz’, but here we are talking about colour. Red meats are generally richer in haem iron than white meat, poultry, and fish, in this occasion, the redder, the better.
Tannins found in tea and, to a lesser extent, coffee reduces the amount of iron the body can absorb from foods. However, vitamin C helps the body absorb iron from food. So, add some kiwifruit to your morning oats or smoothie, and leave time between your breakfast and your morning cuppa.
We all love variety in life, so fill your plate in the same way. Eating a variety of foods is the best way to ensure you are getting enough iron (as well as other nutrients). A balance of fruits and vegetables, wholegrain bread and cereals, dairy products and red meat, chicken, and fish. Great meat alternatives are beans, lentils, eggs, and tofu.
Remember, infants, girls and people who have periods, teenagers, pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, sports people, vegetarians, and the elderly are most at risk of being iron deficient. Learning how to cook iron-rich dishes will help keep those iron levels up.
A note: often the little ones are low in iron as they won't eat large amounts of food, or often take a bottle or milk feed over eating food. One way to combat this is to try and get food in first before their appetites are lessoned from having milk close to meal times.
Could you be low on iron? Take the quiz to check for common signs and symptoms of low iron. If you think you or anyone in your family may be at risk of iron or have any concerns, please get in touch with your GP. For tailored nutritional advice, book a chat with one of the friendly team members at Feel Fresh Nutrition.
References:
[1] Murray CJL, Salomon JA, Mathers CD, Lopez AD. The global burden of disease. Geneva: World Health Organization. (2002).
[2] Wall, CR et al. (2008). Ethnic variance in iron status: is it related to dietary intake? Public Health Nutr 12 (9):1413-1421.
[3] National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand including Recommended Dietary Intakes. Canberra: NHMRC, Wellington: Ministry of Health, 2006.
[4] Grant, CC et al. (2007). Population prevalence and risk factors for iron deficiency in Auckland, New Zealand. J Paediatr Child Health 43: 532-538
[5] University of Otago and Ministry of Health. (2011). A Focus on Nutrition: Key findings of the 2008/09 New Zealand Adult Nutrition Survey. Wellington: Ministry of Health.
A well-balanced and fulfilling meal to keep your brain firing through that afternoon slump. Salmon is packed with healthy fats and protein.
We love the colours in this dish, eating the rainbow (and your vitamins and minerals) never looked so good.
A quick and easy throw-together salad to spice up your work lunches. This recipe is cost-effective by bulking up the base with a fibre-rich pre-packed coleslaw mix.
A hearty soup to nourish during the cooler months. Packed with winter bug-fighting ingredients such as garlic.
A hearty winter dinner using sweet potato rather than the traditional potato mash top. Sweet potatoes pack a punch when it comes to getting your daily intake of Vitamin A.
A balanced vegetarian meal providing 20g of protein per serving thanks to the star of this dish, tofu.
Well worth the wait this vegetarian slow cooker meal is delicious! We love serving it with a side of home made tortilla chips to add some crunch.
A breakfast bowl that will keep you feeling satiated for a long time due to the heart-healthy unsaturated fats. If you close your eyes it tastes just like relaxing on a boat in Greece.
Chickpea pasta is a high protein and high fibre alternative to traditional pasta. This recipe is so versatile and easy to change up based on what hummus you choose.
Who said veggies aren’t breakfast food? A great way to hide some veggies from the rest of the family too!
Have you ever struggled to start or maintain an exercise programme? Whether for you this means daily gentle walks or a full gym schedule, this happens to all of us. When we sat down with Simon Jones, Strength and Conditioning Coach, this was one of our top questions. How do you find the motivation to work out? We loved talking to Simon, he has spent his career training elite athletes, but he gets ‘us’. Those that don’t get paid to be fit, but do our very best with the time and resources that we have available. He is brilliant at looking at how we can maximise our efforts by finding motivation, and he shares with us how we can do that.
His response was to focus on aligning the movement you're choosing to do with your goals. One key message about how to add exercise into your life is:
“Just because it doesn’t feel like exercise, doesn’t mean it’s not”
For Simon, this began with dog walking. He had a larger, overarching fitness goal of the number of calories he wanted to burn through exercise during the month. But how does something as simple as dog walking fit into this?
Firstly, it got him up early. Not a big deal at the time, but some changes to his work schedule were coming up. So setting up healthy habits before his life shifted meant that he was more likely to keep them as part of his new routine. If he tried to add new habits at the same time as his workload was increasing, it’s more likely exercise would have slipped, so he got in early and built this habit that has stuck.
This is the sort of thing we see a lot at the start of the year. Feeling energised by the freshness of a new year, people try to make big shifts rather than small, incremental changes. Surges of motivation are great but once the buzz has worn off are you going to be able to continue working towards so many big goals? Instead, habit stacking works a treat. Dog walks this week, then add an extra glass of water at the same time from the next week and healthy post-walk snacks the week after. You’ll be smashing through your goals quicker than you thought was possible.
This is what Simon found as well. As part of getting up early, he started the day with more water. Good for his body and brain. But also that momentum and standard-setting. It helped him feel like he was on the way towards his goals, encouraging him to keep going. This sort of momentum can come from making your bed in the morning, starting the day with a healthy breakfast or early morning stretches. Simon puts it this way, “every positive action you make for yourself, you know you’re casting positive votes for your own health. Focus on the positive votes, not the ones that you didn't get, because they're the ones that are working for you.” There is a huge lesson here with having a positive mindset when it comes to our health and wellbeing. Concentrate on what you HAVE done for yourself and you will be further motivated to build momentum.
Then the next thing to look at is intent and purpose.
“Why are you choosing to move? What is your desired outcome? To lean up? Get more energy?
The next step is, to be honest with yourself, exercise has to come with honesty. Are you working yourself hard enough? That’s the only way to get results.”
Why are you exercising and does the exercise you’re doing help you achieve those goals? For example, to achieve more lean muscle mass, you need to stress the body a little. Just living in a calorie deficit isn’t enough. So perhaps going for a run (where your body weight isn’t supported) is going to be more beneficial than using a bike or doing simple, single muscle exercises like tricep dips.
The other place where the purpose is really important is to help you bust open some myths. One of the biggest ones Simon hears? Spot training. If you’re trying to get a certain area toned, it might seem like training that area hard will do the trick. And yes, you’ll likely be building strong muscles but if there’s a layer of excess body fat on there your hard work won’t be able to shine through. So adding in cardio or weights that train some of the other large muscle groups can help achieve overall fitness and weight loss. And this will help you achieve those goals too. When aiming to lean up, why would you do repetitive tricep exercises when you can access kilo’s of muscle by doing compound exercises that utilise a lot more muscle in your body. For example, a squat is a compound exercise that works the quadriceps, glutes, and calves. You can also do compound exercises that combine two exercises into one move to target even more muscles (for example, a lunge with a bicep curl). Get that brain buzzing while you are working!
Want to hear more about how to find the motivation for movement? Check out the full interview with Simon on our YouTube channel.
A question we get asked a lot is “What exactly is a serving size?” As we begin working with clients, this is usually one of the first lessons we teach as we want everyone to be able to make good decisions. Adjusting portion sizes can have a big impact on achieving your goals without making dramatic shifts to what you’re eating.
Take a moment to look at your hands. Everyone’s hand size is unique to their body and is consistent once you are an adult, this means that each individual has an on-the-go portion guide. Let us explain…
The palm of your hand is a great measure for a portion of meat protein, such as beef, lamb, pork or chicken. You can also use the thickness of your hand to match as well. Protein provides the building blocks for muscle gain (we’re looking at you, gym bunnies), and provides the greatest level of satiation out of all the macronutrients. That’s the fullness that you want to feel after a meal so you don’t go looking for snacks. Meat is also a great source of B vitamins, iron, and zinc - all very important to how our bodies function.
A serving of fish should equal your whole hand. Even though fish is a meat and a source of protein, we don’t include it in the same portion guide as other meats. This is because white fish is less dense and lower in calories.
Now oily fish is another story. Fish like salmon and sardines are higher in calories due to their beneficial omega 3 fat content, DHA and EPA, which all support our brain and heart health. For fatty fish, the recommended serving size is around 100 grams (rather than 140g as for white fish) which means a portion of fatty fish is closer to a large palm.
A clenched fist is a good indication of a carbohydrate portion of a balanced meal. This includes your potato, kumara, rice, quinoa, pasta or a whole grain bread roll. Starchy carbohydrates provide slow-releasing energy to keep you energised throughout the day.
We should note here that refined carbohydrates such as white bread, white sugar, and baked goods do not have this same effect. Rather these foods provide a burst of energy followed by a low, which is no fun. Stick to the starchy carbohydrates to stay energised for longer.
A portion of legumes, such as chickpeas, lentils and beans, is also the size of your closed fist. These are great options if you’re eating less or no meat, as they also contain plant-based protein, are packed full of fibre and are low in fat.
Two cupped hands give you a guide for a minimum portion of non-starchy vegetables at mealtime. This is the part of your plate that you can go as big as you like! This includes an incredible variety of foods that you can prepare in so many different ways. Capsicum, carrot, broccoli, cucumber, mushrooms, eggplant, corn, peas, onion, garlic. spinach, lettuce and tomato.
We all know that we need to eat our vegetables, but why? Eating from the rainbow gives us the greatest range of vitamins and minerals to make sure we are getting everything we need and are covering all bases. Kinda like an insurance policy.
It might sound a little strange, but your thumb x2 is a good measure for fat at each meal. This category includes heart-healthy unsaturated fats such as nuts, avocado, seeds, hummus, and olive oil. As well, saturated fats like butter and cheese, which should be consumed in moderation.
Keep in mind fats are very calorie-dense compared to the other macronutrients, which means that in small doses they pack a punch and can pile extra calories onto your plate quickly. We’re looking at you, sauces and dressings. Fats contain 9 calories per gram, whereas protein and carbohydrates contain 4 calories per gram. Nothing to worry about, just good to know why we often have smaller serves of fat. The great bit? Unsaturated fats are important for lowering cholesterol, supporting hormone health, and reducing inflammation.
Don’t worry, we didn’t forget about snacks. It’s kinda normal to get hungry in between meals. The important thing is what you eat when you do and how much. A single cupped palmful is a good indication for a snack portion of nuts, fruit or non-starchy vegetables.
Okay, so now you know how to measure out different parts of a meal, how do you bring that together?
To create a balanced plate it is important to include a source of protein, carbohydrates, fat and fruit or veggies at breakfast, lunch and dinner. This ratio will help to ensure you are getting all the nutrients needed from each of the major food groups.
You want it to look a little like this:
½ the plate is non-starchy vegetables
¼ of the plate is a protein
¼ of the plate is a carbohydrate
a few servings of healthy fats.
Understanding what to eat and how much to eat can be overwhelming when there seem to be so many conflicting opinions. It’s often one of the first questions we get asked from our clients who have already tried to find answers for themselves online.
Hopefully, now you have a clear and simple understanding of how portion control can provide your body exactly what it needs. Remember that if you give this a go and find you are hungry you can add in more non-starchy veg to your plate and more healthy snacks between meals.
Now, get out there and put that portable portion guide to the test!
Have questions or need advice? Book to come and see one of the team and we can help you better understand portion sizes to help you achieve your specific goals.
