SMART Health Nutrition, 17 towarri Street (2026)

17/02/2022

WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR NUTRITION WHEN YOU ARE LEADING INTO AN EVENT;

With many of my fellow crossfitters building towards the crossfit open in a couple of weeks, a lot of people have been training extra to try get everything out of their bodies, now this goes for any sporting event that you might be training harder for, eg; a marathon, triathalon basically any sport that you are training extra for.
The questions that I hear are; do I need to eat more? or keep the same, should I add more protein?, do I need to drink more water?
Do I need more carbs?, I feel like I don't have enough energy by the time I try and train extra

The simple answer is YES if you are in a maintaining phase (looking to stay the same weight) you need to match your food with your training, if you feel you need to lose a little weight leading into an event then adding more calories is not as irrelevant but you should also be aware that if you are training with less intensity through lack of energy then extra calories will be the answer.
So the big question is how many calories? and what sort of calories, obviously every sport is different so there is no 1 size fits all for every sport, but anyone who is doing a lot more resistance training eg weightlifting will require more calories than someone who is solely focused on running like a marathon.
So if I look into the calorie needs of someone who is doing a lot of extra resistance training like crossfit, there are a couple of ways you can do this if you want to be exact you can, work out your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) you will need some info like BMR to work this out.
the other easier way is to just add extra calories for an hour session 250-350 calories is not a bad way to start then you can adjust on how you feel if you feel bloated and struggling with movements then maybe lower the calories but on the other hand if your energy levels are way down and you feel like that extra session was a waste of time then you need to be higher, obviously this isn't scientific but it can be a good start.
The next big question is if I need more calories what do I eat?
If you are already consuming 2.2g of protein per KG of body weight for example a 80kg person would need (80x2.2) 176g of protein, they are already at there max so any more protein is not really needed, if you are under this mark you can go to the 2.2 mark.
the one macro you can add is more carbs, now a lot of people struggle to get their head around more carbs but if you up your calories by 300 calories a good idea would be to add 50g more carbs and 11g more fats if your protein is already at its max.
CARBS= ENERGY!!!!
here is a little glimpse at how my calories count looks like
I have a body weight of 85kgs (give or take a couple on different days) my BMR is 2000 I had a body scan a couple of weeks ago so they are quite accurate which gave me this info from there i can work out that to maintain body weight I need 3000 calories (2000+50% = 3000) I usually split this 190g protein, 350g carbs and 93g of fats, if I need to increase training I will go an extra 300 calories to 3300 and my macros change to 190g of protein, 400g of carbs and 104g of fats.
Everyone is different but you will get the idea that I have increased my carbs quite a bit (lucky I enjoy rice and pasta) you can always play around with this add more good fats if you feel the carbs are too much.
And water! you need to increase your water as you increase your workouts 2-3L are a minimum.

lastly the reason for the extra calories is more than just about weight increase or decrease, while our bodies are amazing things they do have a breaking point, if your training has increased your body will be screaming for more calories, yes you can adapt overtime, but a constant calorie deficit will lead to weight loss and potential muscle loss which in turn increases your chance of injury as the body fatigues.
It would be shame to do all this extra work without seeing the benefits, a good way too look at it is;
More training+ more calories= More muscle
More muscle then can help burn those extra calories, muscle cells can burn up to 8 times more energy than fat cells
So go and enjoy the extra training but monitor how you are feeling so you can make the most out of your training

26/01/2022

Happy Australia day!!! I hope everyone is enjoying there day of celebrations,
myself, I'm enjoying my last day in isolation with the family as we all caught the corona virus, 🙁which leads me to my topic for the day, now while this may seem disrespectful or ignorant it is 100% not my intention.
Once my family all got our results back saying we were positive we began our isolation waiting for some symptoms to come and fearing that our children aged 3 and 8 would become sick.
A couple of days passed and we were all symptom free, my wife developed a headache and slight head cold but nothing to be alarmed we started thinking this may be it!!! so here we are 7 days in and no more symptoms which relieved us very much as our kids are not vaccinated, (my wife and I are double vaccinated)
As I look back, there are a few things I have considered
👉did we get lucky and just get a mild case
👉the vaccine works really well
👉or the controversial option is that: we all exercise each day and eat a very balanced diet so our immune system took care of the virus. (no disrespect to anyone who has ended up in hospital)

If I look more into the 3rd option it really annoys me that the whole pandemic there has been nothing said from all the health experts about living a healthy lifestyle to increase your chances of beating this virus, geez even in the first wave they basically said not to leave the house no exercise!!! we were lucky that we had some gym gear to keep moving but that really disappointed alot of people that we couldn't train outdoors and still social distance, most people forced to sit at home some alone and do nothing.
The only advice they gave us was stay at home and wait and when the vaccine came that was the only option!!! once again no mention of a healthy lifestyle, now don't get me wrong we both happily got the vaccine and it may have been the reason we didn't get sick but there was still no mention of eating a healthy diet and exercising every day.
2 years into this pandemic and hopefully the end is coming but still no encouragement from our health professionals to improve our lifestyle, here are a couple of tips that you can start today,
After all there is no better time to start a healthy lifestyle like today,
- grab a friend and make time to go for a walk or jog at the park 2-3 times a week
- eat a wide range of vegetables every day they recommend 5+ serves of vegetables a day, aim for more fill over half your plate each meal
- drink plenty of water (avoid sugary drinks)
- eat lean protein sources like chicken breast, trim the fat off steak cuts
- eat low fat dairy
small changes can make a big difference, give your body the best chance to fight this virus or any virus that comes our way by starting a healthy lifestyle today, I encourage everyone to make some adjustments to improve I promise you will feel way better for it.

13/01/2022

Welcome to 2022!! how many of you are out there saying this is my year, I'm going to overhaul my diet, start exercising every day only to get a few weeks in and realise that you have reverted back to most of your old habits!!
when you make such drastic changes it can be hard to sustain, the evidence is clear over 90% of diets fail after 7 days, that basically means by january the 8th you are sick of that diet and are back to take away 2-3 times a week or overloading on sugar and saturated fats.
A better strategy is to set goals, you can set some short term goals and long term goals, for instance short term goals could be simply as cutting back on fast food to 1 night a week, or having half your plate full of fresh vegetables, or even cutting back on the food portions instead of having a whole chicken breast for dinner cut it in half and have half the next night (think of the $$$ that would save too)
when you are looking at long term goals these would be better suited to weight targets or losing cm around the waist.
remember don't set goals that are unachievable, if I was to say I wanted to lose 30kg in 4 months, that is nearly 2 kgs a week for an extended time, while this can be achieved it does take a lot of discipline, a good target guide is 1kg a week for a period, put that in perspective that would be 26kg in 6 months, 26kg is a big difference you will be needing to go buy new clothes after that!!

So you have made the decision to change but are unsure where to start here a few ideas to get you started
👉dedicate an hour a day for exercise, this can be simply a walk, jog or run, if you feel you need the motivation join a gym and have a talk to a personal trainer, while a personal trainer can be expensive they may have options for you to do by yourself for a cheaper price, whatever the case get moving for an hour a day
👉set a weight goal that you see as a long term target eg: 20 kgs down in 6 months (write it down make yourself accountable)
👉make small changes and commit to it eg: cut take away food out of your diet or limit it to once a week, other changes that can be so small but make a big difference are cut sugar out of your tea or coffee.
👉set a plan out so you can keep accountable or get someone to exercise with so you can keep each other accountable

It's never to late to make a start and make a difference in your life.
if you don't know where to start message me on this page or on phone 0409444672, I can help you set up 2022 for success

22/11/2021

How does everyone feel when it comes to breakfast time???
👉do you go for the same breakfast 80% of the time🙋‍♂️
👉do you have very limited time so you keep it simple
👉do you have time to cook a gourmet feed
👉do you have to get up early and have no time and skip it altogether

There was so much talk a few years ago about breakfast being the most important meal of the day but is it really🤷‍♂️
Shouldn’t all meals be important??
Breakfast to me is vital it gives me the energy for the gym or if I’m at work it stops me from reaching for my lunchbox 30min into my shift.
Choosing the correct breakfast is also important, I’m a big fan of a high carb (not high sugar thou) and I also like some protein in there too.
If you are someone who doesn’t have time and skips breakfast altogether don’t panic it’s not a bad thing it only becomes a problem if you get to lunchtime and you are starving and you go for something quick and bad eg:fast food, if you don’t have time pack some fruit, nuts hard boiled egg or a yoghurt to snack on.
So what are some good options🤷‍♂️
👉eggs always a go to option 2 poached eggs on toast with spinach tomatoes and some avocado 🥑 very easy but can take some time to cook
👉muesli and granola are good options, be careful which ones you buy as the tasty ones are usually the ones that have large amounts of added sugar which is what we want to avoid, always go for the low sugar option

So my go to option lately has been yoghurt and granola, I started out buying low sugar granola but it got expensive to find the best option, then you have to weigh up what ingredients they are using like if honey is added is it quality Australian honey or some imported one that has all sorts of additives, so I decided to make my own👍
Here is my recipe takes 20 mins to make and can last up to 3 weeks
-7 cups of oats
-150g of pecans
- 80g of pepitas
- 45g of coconut oil
- 45g of honey (good quality)
- 170g of dried cranberries
1. Mix the oats, pecans and pepitas together
2. Melt the coconut oil and mix with the honey
3. Mix the honey mix into the oat mix and combine well
4. Spread it across 2 trays and cook in oven for 10min
5. Take mixture out and swirl it around so all the oats get a toasting
6. Put back in oven for a further 5min
7. Let it cool for a bit then mix in cranberries

Place in an air tight container it should last for up to 4-6 months
This granola mix contains per half cup, you should get 20 selves out of this
250cal
6g of protein
26g of carbs
12g of fats
Combine this with 180g of plain Chobani yoghurt and you have a healthy breakfast that contains
356 calories
23g of protein
34g of carbs
12g of fats

If you don’t like pecans or pepitas you can always swap them up for different nuts and seeds just stick to amounts
Same with cranberries you can swap them out for a different dried fruit

Enjoy 😊

13/10/2021

How does everyone start their recovery after their gym workout???? 🏋️‍♀️🏋️‍♀️🏋️‍♀️

👉 do you take a protein shake straight away?
👉do you go straight home and eat a meal?
👉do you do nothing for a few hours as you do not feel like eating anything
👉do you focus on drinking water and rehydrating straight away
👉or do you think I have done the work now I have earnt a beer!!!!
Now there are many studies done on this topic and there is evidence to support getting protein and carbohydrates into you straight away and evidence to support that it doesn't matter if you delay eating if you can't stomach food straight away 🍗🍤
My opinion is, and like I said there is plenty of evidence to support this would be the quicker you can get good protein and carbs into you the quicker your body can start the recovery and muscle build process. So I always try to get a high quality protein powder into myself as quick as possible.
The quickest way for protein to get into your system is in liquid form, which is why protein powders are so popular and they can be added to a smoothie so you can get carbohydrates in the form of fruit as well.
My go to smoothie or recovery drink is
- 1 banana
- 1 orange peeled
- 120g frozen berries
- 120g chobani plain greek yoghurt
- 1 scoop of protein powder
- 1 serve of collagen powder
which is roughly 450 calories with 50g of protein and over 50g of carbs, then I will try to eat something within 2 hours of that, this meal will be a high carb meal.
For workouts that last for an hour or longer, for the best recovery its recommended that you have 1/2 a gram of protein for every kilo of body weight and 1 1/2 g of carbs for each kilo of body weight.
So a person weighing 80kg would need 40g of protein and 120g of carbs for optimal recovery and muscle gain.
Next on the list is which supplements will help?
while we can get everything from food our busy lives make cooking a meal hard to do post workout so supplements can really help us, so here are a few that I take and recommend
👉 protein powder always choose a WPI or whey protein isolate they are 90-95% pure protein
👉 creatine our bodies do make a certain amount of creatine but we can always have more, it supports lean muscle growth, helps muscles recover quicker and actually can be used as a pre workout
👉beta-hydroxy beta-methlbutyrate (HMB) these come in tablet form and can help prevent muscle breakdown
👉collagen this is good for your joints, which is really helpful after intense workouts.

Finally the best way to recover and build muscle that we can do and doesn't cost a thing is drink plenty of water your body needs to hydrate and get minimum 7 hours sleep a night, rest is probably the most underrated tool for recovery, the body does it's best repairing when we sleep so prioritise sleep 😴😴😴.
If anyone has there recovery methods that they would like to share please feel free to share them or message me if you think you are not getting the best recovery and would like some help

20/09/2021

So the warm weather has arrived 🌞 and we all know what that means it is salad weather!!!!
Now more often than not a salad is one of the healthiest options we can have but a salad can turn to a high calorie dish and we don't even realise, take a ceaser salad for example delicious and has to be healthy right???? wrong if you have to add bacon, ceaser dressing and croutons to a salad it all of a sudden explodes in calories.
here are a few ideas to remember when you are making a salad for the next bbq
First of all the stuff to avoid
👉avoid all creamy dressings nothing can be good about a creamy dressing that has a shelf life of 3-4 years and they are high fat which means high calories
👉dressings in general, most dressing taste good because they heap the sugar into them, stick to a general rule if it has more than 5g of sugar per 100g it should be avoided.
👉cheese, while cheese is delicious and does contain calcium it is very high in fat for example 25g of regular colby cheese which isn't much has 97 calories, a better option is feta cheese but even then a 25g serving is 75 calories.
👉bacon, once again I know its delicious but high in fat you are much better to have a lean meat like chicken breast in there.

So before you abandon salads because I have taken all the good stuff out here are a few foods to try that can be a great alternative,
👉for a dressing try olive oil, drizzle some olive oil for a unique taste (just don't use cups of it as it is high in calories but they are good calories
👉try lemon or lime juice, low calories and gives it a lovely acidic taste, or mix lime, lemon juice with plain greek yoghurt and even some garlic for a bit of a mediterranean taste.
👉eggs, eggs are highly nutritious, add an egg to your salad to give it some flavour.
👉spices, even adding a little salt and pepper can give it some taste without adding those extra calories
👉olives, while they are not everyone's cup of tea add a few olives for a unique taste
👉potato or pasta salad, now these 2 are a tricky ones as they usually go hand and hand with a creamy dressing, so if you have them with a drizzle of olive oil and add some spices you might be surprised with the outcome
Just remember add plenty of vegetables for more taste, foods like capsicum can give a really sharp taste, or try an roast vegetable salad use vegetables like beetroot, pumpkin, onion, capsicum place in oven for 15-20 mins or until cooked.
if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask
enjoy the warmer days ahead

07/09/2021

so looks like lockdown in NSW will not end anytime soon, news like this hits people in different ways, for me I can't get to the gym as I love exercising (and socialising) but this can affect people in different ways and is pretty much out of our control. but there is 1 thing that is in our control and if anything this is a perfect chance to have a good hard look at our diet, being in lockdown should give us the chance to get back in the kitchen and get those cooking skills out again.
so where do you start if you think your diet needs some work🤷‍♂️
here are a couple of tips to think about
- load up on vegetables, there is very few calories in most vegetables so if you feel like your plate of food is not enough add more vegetables
- use lean meats, chicken breast, turkey, 5* beef mince, cuts of steak like rump (with fat removed) fresh seafood, try these foods instead of sausages which can contain up to 18g of fat in one sausage!!!! scary to think it that high, salami and all those high fat meats are really high in fat, just remember 1g of fat has 9 calories quickly adds up
- low fat dairy, choose low fat options are always the healthier option, and if you are a yoghurt fan read the labels something like chobani greek yoghurt has less than 100 calories per 180g serve and is high in protein, then you get the really sweet yoghurts that are full of sugar, then a flavoured gippsland pottle (which are soooo good) but contains 260 calories per 180g serve and 30g of sugar per serve!!!!
- limit sugar and saturated fat, read the labels and always refer to the per 100g section, if it is above 5g per 100g be careful and if it is above 10g per 100g I would avoid at all costs
- limit adding salt, most of our foods have enough salt in them we don't need to add extra when we cook then add more when we go to eat, salt is essential for our diet but we can over do very quickly.
- And lastly watch your alcohol intake!!! don't use these lockdowns as an excuse to drink all the time (no matter how much the kids drive you up the wall), a few beers or glasses of wine here and there are perfectly fine just try to limit the excess.

Now is the time to keep your health a number 1 priority, a strong immune system might be just your ticket to keep you out of hospital if you get any virus or infection. here are a few foods that can help boost your immune system
- citrus fruits, full of vitamin c which can increase the production of white blood cells which is a key in fighting infections
- red capsicums once again full of vitamin c
- broccoli packed with vitamin a, b, c and many other antioxidants
- garlic and ginger
- spinach rich in vitamin c
- green tea, full of antioxidants

if you are in doubt of your diet and think you need a change please make contact with me and I can lead you in the right direction

16/07/2021

WHY DO NEARLY EVERY DIET OUT THERE FAIL????

- there are a number of reasons but the main reason is they get bored of it, while they may get you a result in the short term ultimately you will revert back to old habits and put some if not all the weight back on. Basically if you eat the same plain meal over and over something has to give, I have been there before leading up to our wedding, Nat and I ate salmon or chicken and steamed vegetables for 6 months and yes we lost weight but if I see a meal that has steamed vegetables and a plain piece of meat I would be very reluctant to have a spoonful.
So what is the answer????
Sustainability and variety are the 2 key elements you need in a diet that you can adopt for the rest of your life.
Basic rules for this
1. eat plenty of vegetables and fruit,
2. eat lean meats
3. limit sugars and saturated fats to a minimum
4. carbs are not bad there a plenty of good carbs out there
5. fats are essential but you will need to learn which are good and which are bad!!!
Counting calories and macronutrients breakdown are also important, learn these and you will set yourself up for success
HOW CAN I HELP YOU????
I have set out a program that works out your calories and macros, it also offers you 5 options on how to achieve these targets, from snacks to main meals, all delicious foods (I promise there is NO meal that is steamed vegetables with salmon),
cost $60 for each meal plan, you can run this meal plan for a week or month or year whatever suits as soon as you are ready for more variety message me and I will send you through another meal plan with different options, these will be tailored for your likes, you tell me what foods you can't handle and I wont put them in simple as that
Remember good food does not have to be boring

13/07/2021

This is what I love to see, send through a meal plan to a client and explain that there is a bit of meal prep involved, if you are organized it won't be a drama and he sends back a photo saying I'm all sorted for a week and it took very little time!!! top work Lee Lesley

23/06/2021

so I have just enjoyed a little break with the family, enjoying some warmth up north Queensland, as with most holidays I enjoyed a few beers and enjoyed eating out at the fine restaurants there were on offer, the big question is when we return home and get back into a normal routine is, how is the mindset?
- do you think, I am going on a complete detox, no alcohol, no carbs, nothing but steamed veggies and lean meat🥦🥕 for a month!! does this sound like something you have said 🙋‍♂️ I know I have in the past.
Is it a great option? well yes your body could do with a little detox from alcohol but why put yourself through the bland eating and cutting out whole food groups, a 2 week holiday will not change your body much, you may feel a bit bloated but ultimately your clothes will still fit and the scales have probably only moved slightly or if any at all. don't get all stressed out stick to what you were doing before the holiday.
The biggest drama about eating out over holidays is the fat content of meals (the reason the meals taste soooo good) we are unsure how much and what type of oil is used or how much butter is used and then the sauces that go with a lovely steak are usually creamy based and high calories,
So maybe a good idea is to start by cutting the fats (especially saturated fats the bad ones) down a bit in your meals for a few weeks Don't rule fats out as we do need them.

For me, I will be back counting calories, splitting my macronutrients up and most importantly getting back to the gym💪. There will be no restrictions on certain food groups as our bodies need them all.

So next holiday enjoy your break, eat nice food, enjoy a beer or wine with lunch and dinner and when you return don't stress out get back to your routine that worked before the holiday.

If you would like some help to count calories, split your macros up get in touch with me I would love to help out

01/06/2021

I love meals that I can cook up super quick, have left overs in the fridge for the coming days, are healthy and most importantly taste fantastic.
This is a mexican style beef bake very simple packed with vegetables 30-40 mins to cook and best of all I have all my lunches for the rest of the week 👍
ingredients: for 5 serves for
440 calories per serve- 50g of carbs, 11g of fats and 33g of protein
- 500g premium mince
- 750g sweet potato
- 2 carrots
- 2 onions
- 2 capsicums
- 2 cans diced tomatoes
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 beef stock cube
- 1 packet of mexican spice
- 60g grated cheese
method
1. dice the sweet potato up and cook in the oven at 180 degrees with a little olive oil and salt and pepper
2. grate the carrots and garlic, dice the capsicum and slice the onions.
3. place carrots garlic and capsicum in a frying pan and cook for 3-4 mins, add the mince and cooked until slightly browned
4. add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, spices and beef stock then mix altogether.
5. transfer mince mix to a oven proof pan then take sweet potato out of the oven and mix with the mince, then sprinkle cheese over the top
6. bake for a further 5-10 mins until cheese melts
enjoy

21/05/2021

hey everyone just wanted to share the success one of my clients mathew danks is having, matt came to me for some help with his food, as he mentioned to me he has never weighed or tracked food and basically ate what was available,
Matt is a great lifter constantly hitting big lifts at the gym but he wanted to make the gymnastics side of things easier.
I set Matt up with a meal plan which worked out all his macronutrients and calories to achieve for the day, then giving him 5-6 options to achieve these targets with all the recipes to keep mixing the food up, 11 weeks in Matt has lost 7kgs which is perfect as he is still hitting PBs with his lifts but the best news is Matt has now perfected the bar muscle up, which has been a goal of his for a while, now he is doing them for fun!!!!
7 kgs in 11 weeks may not seem like alot to some people but the changes to Matt are very noticeable in the photos, plus the most important thing is he is not losing muscle mass.
simply putting more focus on how much protein, carbs and fats you have each day and sticking to a certain calorie intake can make a huge difference.
weighing food may seem very time consuming but once you do it for a while it can be very simple and becomes a habit.
I look forward to working with Matt in the future
this is Matt start of march vs mid may

SMART Health Nutrition