Vibrant Vital Nutrition

20/07/2022

Participated in the Airlie Beach Marathon Festival on Sunday.

Sadly I had to walk the 5km due to persistent plantar fasciitis 😟

The rest of our group were far more heroic, with Mike and Myles completing the half marathon, and Nathan running the 5km!
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25/06/2022

This Saturday we ran the Whalan Reserve Parkrun.

The course is relatively flat and single lap on combined grass, sealed old go-cart track and sealed running track. With a field of just 31 parkrunners, I really enjoyed the small community friendliness!

Thanks to the volunteers for making this event possible!

18/06/2022

Tried a new park run today. The Ponds is a lovely flat course with a great turnout! Thanks to the many volunteers .

How’re you enjoying the beautiful weather today?

17/06/2022

Cauliflower pizzas are a tasty and easy weekend healthy swap minus all the calories! Try this smoked salmon cauliflower pizza recipe - I bet your family won't be able to tell the difference 🍕

15/06/2022

Eating after a workout is important for topping up depleted muscle glycogen stores. Glycogen is the body's preferred fuel source during exercise. Exercise also breaks down and damages proteins in our muscles.

By eating carbohydrates and protein after your workout, your body is able to:
1.Replenish muscle glycogen stores
2. Decrease muscle protein breakdown
3. Increase muscle growth
4. Enhance recovery.

As a guideline, consume carbohydrates and protein in a ratio of 3 to 1 (carbs to protein) to maximise protein and glycogen production. For example, this is about 120 grams of carbs and 40 grams of protein.

In terms of timing, research has found that consuming your carb and protein fuel within a two-hour window post-exercise, will maximise recovery.

Here are some post-exercise meal and snack ideas:
1. Salmon with sweet potato
2. Grilled chicken with roasted vegetables and brown rice
3. Oats, whey protein, banana, and almonds
4. Whole grain toast and almond / peanut butter
5. Cottage cheese and fruit

Finally, depending on your workout intensity, ensure water and electrolytes lost during exercise, are replenished.

14/06/2022

Thank you so much to Andrea The Slow Coach for this business mention!

I recently decided to work harder in my efforts to fuel well. After all, you can't burn energy as a runner if you don't take on board good energy. So I reached out to fellow runner and nutritionist Mabel Fowlds of Vibrant Vital Nutrition. Once a lawyer, Mabel is now the Vibrant Vital Nutritionist, and she combines an evidence-based approach with life experience, empathy and knowledge specifically tailored to your needs.

I'm very fortunate to have some great nutritionists and dieticians in my network. But I reached out to Mabel because I think that her personal, visceral knowledge of running means that she 'gets' the relationship between food and effort. And she has shown unmitigated empathy for the complicated relationship I have with Cadburys , Gordons Gin and Doritos. How is my new approach going? Well it's early days. I'm hoping that my efforts to eat better, with more focus on protein and better quality calories, that I'll be able to produce a slightly better effort as I approach my marathon and ultra marathon later this year. I promise to let you know how I go! But if you'd like to talk to Mabel yourself, she's currently offering a free 15 minute discovery call, and you can get in touch via her website.

https://vibrantvitalnutrition.com.au/

14/06/2022

Kiwifruit are high in serotonin, the precursor to the sleep hormone, melatonin.

Participants in a research study, who had all experienced disrupted sleep, consumed two kiwifruit one hour before bed for four weeks. Overall, volunteers found that they fell asleep more quickly, slept more soundly, had better sleep quality, and slept longer!

Kiwis are also loaded with immune-boosting vitamin C and antioxidants, fibre, potassium for heart health, and mood enhancing serotonin.

So grab a couple of kiwifruit as a pre-bedtime snack and enjoy some extra zzzzzz's tonight. Sweet dreams!

Let me know if this works for you :)

10/06/2022

As the long weekend approaches here are some tips for keeping your health goals in mind while still enjoying yourself 😄

1. Stick to your normal routine. Add some structure to your weekend by planning a workout 🎽 and keeping to your usual meal times.

2. Get enough sleep. Maintaining the same sleep patterns as you would during the week keeps your circadian rhythm happy and reduces sweet cravings the next day. 😴

3. Limit alcohol. Having a drink or two is absolutely fine, but scale back on the alcohol, and you'll reduce your calorie intake. Also, it's far easier to throw caution to the wind and make poor food choices after a few tipples! 🍷

4. Move more. Use your extra time to go outdoors, whether for a bush walk, playing sports, or gardening. Time spent moving also means less time eating ⚽️. 🏈

5. Eat a healthy breakfast. A good, protein-filled breakfast will get you off to a good start, and help regulate your appetite all day. 🥘

6. Don't graze. Eat three separate meals and load your plate with tons of veggies, lean protein, fruit, and complex carbs. 🥗

7. Make healthy swaps. Some options include cauliflower pizza instead of traditional, dark chocolate rather than milk chocolate (it's harder to overindulge), sparkling water instead of soft drinks, and popcorn instead of crisps. 🍕 🍫 🍿 🍹

Let me know if you find any of these tips helpful!

09/06/2022

“Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” The World Health Organisation.

09/06/2022

As the long weekend approaches here are some tips for keeping your health goals in mind while still enjoying yourself 😄

1. Stick to your normal routine. Add some structure to your weekend by planning a workout 🎽 and keeping to your usual meal times.

2. Get enough sleep. Maintaining the same sleep patterns as you would during the week keeps your circadian rhythm happy and reduces sweet cravings the next day. 😴

3. Limit alcohol. Having a drink or two is absolutely fine, but scale back on the alcohol, and you'll reduce your calorie intake. Also, it's far easier to throw caution to the wind and make poor food choices after a few tipples! 🍷

4. Move more. Use your extra time to go outdoors, whether for a bush walk, playing sports, or gardening. Time spent moving also means less time eating ⚽️. 🏈

5. Eat a healthy breakfast. A good, protein-filled breakfast will get you off to a good start, and help regulate your appetite all day. 🥘

6. Don't graze. Eat three separate meals and load your plate with tons of veggies, lean protein, fruit, and complex carbs. 🥗

7. Make healthy swaps. Some options include cauliflower pizza instead of traditional, dark chocolate rather than milk chocolate (it's harder to overindulge), sparkling water instead of soft drinks, and popcorn instead of crisps. 🍕 🍫 🍿 🍹

Let me know if you find any of these tips helpful!

07/06/2022

Creatine, manufactured in your body from amino acids glycine and arginine, is one of the natural energy sources for muscle contraction. 95% of the body's creatine is stored in the muscles, while the other 5% is found in the brain and te**es. Foods naturally high in creatine include red meat and seafood.

Research indicates that supplementation with creatine increases muscle creatine stores. These stores produce ATP molecules, which act as the body's energy currency. When you have more ATP, your body performs better during exercise.

Also, creatine brings about changes within muscle cells, stimulating your body to build new muscle proteins and increase muscle growth.

Further evidence-based benefits of creatine supplementation include:
1. Improved bone health when paired with resistance training.
2. Enhanced cognition, especially where creatine levels are sub-optimal, as in the case of seniors, vegans, and vegetarians.

Most research conducted on creatine used creatine monohydrate. Although creatine is generally well tolerated, high doses can cause digestive side effects.

A daily dose of 3g creatine monohydrate, taken with food, has been shown to be effective in stimulating muscle growth and improving exercise performance.

If you're experiencing muscle loss, or would like nutritional support to increase muscle mass, and improve sports performance, book a free chat on my website (see link in bio).

06/06/2022

Turmeric, and its active ingredient, curcumin, are acknowledged as having powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties.

Much research has been done around this golden spice and a number of medicinal properties have been identified. Since curcumin is not well absorbed on its own, it helps to combine it with black pepper. Black pepper contains piperine, a substance that powerfully enhances curcumin absorption.

Moreover, curcumin breaks down and dissolves in fat or oil, further enhancing its absorption.

Which is why I love this turmeric cauliflower recipe - it contains turmeric, oil, and sprinkle on some black pepper for the full trifecta!

Some benefits of turmeric include:
1. Reduces inflammation.
2. Prevents brain degeneration by boosting BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor.
3. Lowers risk of heart disease.
4. Helps prevent cancer.
5. Possibly useful in treating Alzheimer's disease by clearing amyloid plaques.
6. Reduces symptoms of arthritis.

If you're planning on taking turmeric in supplement form, studies indicate that 500 - 2,000 mg per day may have potential benefits, while the exact dose may depend on the condition.

Turmeric supplements are unsafe if pregnant or breastfeeding, and can also interact with blood thinners and diabetes medications.

However, turmeric seems safe when used as a spice in food.