Matt the Dietitian

04/01/2023

Combining and cooking some foods can help to maximise the health benefits.

Plants contain potent antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Certain food combinations help to make these beneficial compounds more available to the body.

Tomatoes contain a powerful antioxidant, lycopene- which helps to protect your cells from damage. Consuming foods that are a good source of lycopene has been linked to a lower prevalence of some cancers and cardiovascular disease.

Researchers investigated if cooking diced tomatoes with olive oil increased lycopene absorption.

The findings confirmed this increased lycopene absorption compared to raw tomatoes without olive oil.

Bruschetta anyone?

References
Imran, M., Ghorat, F., Ul-Haq, I., Ur-Rehman, H., Aslam, F., Heydari, M., Shariati, M. A., Okuskhanova, E., Yessimbekov, Z., Thiruvengadam, M., Hashempur, M. H., & Rebezov, M. (2020). Lycopene as a Natural Antioxidant Used to Prevent Human Health Disorders. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland), 9(8), 706. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox9080706

Fielding JM, Rowley KG, Cooper P, O' Dea K. Increases in plasma lycopene concentration after consumption of tomatoes cooked with olive oil. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2005;14(2):131-6. PMID: 15927929.

06/12/2022

Strategies that can help to optimise your sleep, promote better energy levels, and improve cognition and alertness.

29/05/2022

Avo on sourdough or loaded sourdough w. turmeric black pepper tofu, avo, pepitas and sauerkraut?

Let's be honest avo on toast is much easier to prepare but for some it may not satisfy hunger, leading to snacking shortly after.

Fibre and protein are two nutrients which help satisfy hunger and keep you full for longer. Higher fibre intake has been associated with a decreased risk of disease, promotes regular bowel movements and daily consumption of a variety of plants appears to be beneficial for gut health.

Also, protein is a nutrient of concern for vegans and if you are looking to gain muscle, you may require more protein.

If you find you are not satisfied- after a meal, need a snack shortly after a meal, require more protein in your diet, need to increase your fibre intake or want to consume more plants to promote better gut health then perhaps you should try this loaded sourdough.

Nutrition per serve | serves 1

🍃Avo on toast
50g bread
150 g avocado

325 cal | 6.5g pro | 20g fat | 14.3g fibre

🍃Loaded toast
50g bread
50g avo
15 g pepita
50g tofu
40g sauerkraut
sprinkle of turmeric and pepper

478 cal | 16.4g pro | 19g fat | 17.7g fibre

06/05/2022

Tag your drinking buddies!

Clients often tell me they undo all their hard work during the week with their drinking buddies on the weekend.

All alcohol is calorie-dense, but spirits like vodka and gin are the lower-calorie options.

The mixer can significantly increase the number of calories.

Swapping mixers can help you reach your goals while still enjoying the things you love.

Happy Friday,
Matt

02/04/2022

Zinc is essential for growth and development, wound healing, healthy skin and hair, and healthy immune and central nervous systems.

Although zinc is widely available in plant-based foods, it is a nutrient of concern for vegans and vegetarians, as it isn’t readily absorbed (damn phytates).

Therefore, it has been suggested that vegetarians and vegans consume 50% more zinc than non-vegans.

Soaking, fermenting and sprouting nuts and grains can increase zinc availability.

If you are losing hair, notice delayed wound healing, consider speaking to your GP about checking your zinc status.

28/03/2022

Often I am asked what should I eat or take for hair growth?

If you are eating a balanced diet you should receive all the nutrients required for hair growth.

Without a blood test, you should never supplement as over-supplementation of certain nutrients, including vitamin A, vitamin E, and selenium, could lead to hair loss.

Patients presenting with hair loss should be screened by medical history, dietary history and physical exam for risk factors for nutrient deficiency. If warranted, laboratory studies may be performed. In patients with no risk factors, further laboratory ...

27/03/2022

Are you looking to improve your high intensity or endurance performance?

If you can justify the cost, you may want to trial L-citrulline.

Although few studies are available and findings are conflicting, it appears to be safe.

The studies which found improved exercise performance had participants consume 2.4-6 g per day for a week prior to and on the testing day/s. Whereas, some studies which found no effect had participants consume l-Citrulline only on the testing day/s.

Let me know how you respond.

Cheers,
Matt

23/03/2022

Sport drinks are marketed as a quick and palatable way to stay hydrated, provide an efficient fuel source (carbohydrates) and replace electrolytes lost in sweat such as sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium-to support performance.

Sports nutrition is different to healthy eating or everyday nutrition as athletes require nutrients that are absorbed quickly to promote optimal performance and recovery. Nutrients such as fibre slow down absorption and this is why drinks such as smoothies aren’t the best option. However, natural alternatives such as coconut water are often overlooked.

Like sport drinks, coconut water does not contain fibre so it’s absorption is faster than fibre containing beverages. In addition, unlike other sport drinks, coconut water contains only 1 ingredient and naturally contains all four electrolytes lost through sweat and carbohydrates.

Everyone is different so I’d recommend trialling new products during training to see how you respond.

Cheers,
Matt

14/03/2022

Plant-based protein bowl w/ a lemon, apple cider vinegar and extra virgin olive oil dressing 🔥🤤

12/03/2022

This loaded gut loving, omega 3 rich sourdough was lit 🔥

- Toasted multigrain sourdough from (great for the gut)

- Tomato 🍅 (powerful antioxidant that has been associated with a lower incidence of cancer and cardiovascular disease)

- Avocado 🥑 (makes lycopene more available to the body)

- Sauerkraut (great for the gut)

- H**p seeds (good source of omega 3s and protein)