Learn a little bit more about the life of a dietitian by checking out my profile listing in Dietitian Connection this week at the link below. 

Dietitian Connection Profile - Courtney Dinnerville

What's making news in nutrition?

Food Revolution Day 2013

May 17th was Food Revolution Day, a global day of action raising awareness of the importance of healthy food, by encouraging everyone to "Cook it, Share it, Live it"! Jamie Oliver is the face of Food Revolution Day. I love his everyday passion and food philosophy! I celebrated Food Revolution Day by cooking a beautiful dish using nothing but the freshest ingredients. I wanted to share the recipe with you.

Almond & Cumin Crusted Salmon

Ingredients:
2 salmon fillets
1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 tsp cumin
Green beans
1/2 Pumpkin
2 carrots
Juice of fresh lemon
Olive oil






Method:
1. Chop pumpkin and carrots and place on stovetop, bring to boil, cook until soft
2. Squeeze fresh lemon juice on fillets. Meanwhile mix almond meal and cumin in a bowl and coat fillets in mixture
3. Place fillets in hot fry pan with olive oil and cook about 7 minutes either side (depending on thickness)
4. Strain pumpkin and carrots and mash with a fork using tsp olive oil

Don't shop on an empty stomach

You've probably heard this one before... don't go shopping when you're hungry. Well, a study from Cornell University has shown people who were hungrier bought higher calorie food options when shopping. No surprises there!

My tips for a healthy shopping trolley:

• Don't go shopping when you're hungry
• Plan your meals, write a list and stick to it
• Stick to the outer layers of the supermarket (where the fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats, eggs, low fat dairy and wholegrain breads are found)

Meatless Monday - why not try mushrooms?

Mushrooms make a great replacement for meat as they are very low in calories, fat and have a meaty flavour. A recent study showed overweight and obese participants lost weight and body fat by switching a serve of red meat for one cup of button mushrooms. Why not try cooking mushrooms this meatless monday?

Risoni and Mushroom Salad
http://www.powerofmushrooms.com.au/mushroom-recipe/risoni-mushroom-hazelnut-salad/

Protein Balls

My recipe is adapted from Teresa Cutter's The Healthy Chef recipe. Protein balls are a great snack to cure 3pm sugar cravings, have post-workout or on-the-go. The great thing about protein balls is that you can experiment with so many different ingredients. Plus, they take only 5-10 minutes to make!

My protein balls are a great source of complete protein (made using whey protein isolate), a good source of Vitamin E from the almond meal and high in iron and magnesium from pepitas (pumpkin seeds).

Ingredients:

60g Whey Protein Isolate (I used Musashi brand) - about 6 scoops
16 dates, pitted
1/4 cup almond meal
1/4 cup pepitas, ground

Method:

If you have a food processor, place protein powder, almond meal and pepitas in and process until the mixture looks crumbly. Then add dates and a splash of water and process again until the mixture is soft. I didn't have a food processor so I used a mortar and pestle to grind the pepitas and chopped the dates finely with a sharp knife. Form the mixture into 12 balls. Store in the fridge and they're ready to go!

Nutrition per ball:

(makes 12)

Energy: 252kJ (60 cal)
Protein: 5.4g  
Carbohydrates: 3.5g
Fat: 2.4g

Autumn Recipe Collections: Chicken & Vegetable Lasagna

Ingredients:
Free range chicken mince 500g
Tinned tomatoes 250g (preferably no added salt)
Wholemeal lasagna sheets (San Remo brand)
Extra light ricotta 250g (Perfect Italiano brand)
1 Eggplant
2 Zucchinis
1/3 Pumpkin
125g Frozen Spinach

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Heat oil in a large pan and brown the mince, mixing in 1/3 of the tin of tomatoes.

2. Slice the eggplant and zucchini, spray with olive oil, and place in a pre-heated oven to brown.

3. Cut the pumpkin into cubes and microwave covered in water to soften for 3-4 minutes.

4. Layer the bottom of your lasagna tray with lasagna sheets. Top with half the mince. Spread the roasted zucchini and eggplant. Follow with the defrosted spinach, 1/2 the tub of ricotta and 1/3 of the tin of tomatoes. Spread with remaining chicken, pumpkin cubes and remaining ricotta.

5. Layer with more lasagna sheets and spread remaining tinned tomatoes on top.

6. Cover with foil and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.

Enjoy!!

Diogenes Study: "diet, obesity and genes"

The Diogenes Study aimed to identify the diet which would be most effective in preventing weight gain and weight regain. The study looked at diets with varying glycaemic index (GI) and protein contect.
 
Participants lost 8% of their original weight over 8 weeks, using low calorie formula's. They were then assigned to one of 5 different diets.
 
Group 1: Low Protein, Low glycemic Index.
Group 2: Low Protein, High glycemic Index.
Group 3: High Protein, Low glycemic Index.
Group 4: High Protein, High glycemic Index.
Group 5: Control Diet, medium protein and medium glycemic index.

Results

As you can see in the graph above, those in the low protein-high GI group (Group 2) showed the poorest results, regaining 1.67kg. The best results were seen in those in the high protein-low GI group (Group 3). Those in Group 3 were consuming 22% protein, 43% carbohydrate and 32% fat.

Group 3

Pictures of meals for participants in Group 3 (High Protein, Low gycaemic Index) at the link:

http://www.diogenes-eu.org/weightlossstudy/PicturesDiets_HP-LGI.htm

Examples of meals for participants in Group 3:
Breakfast: Rye bread, egg, skim milk, apple
Lunch: Egg, dried beans, vegetables
Dinner: Turkey, vegetables, wholegrain pasta, avocado, reduced fat feta
Snacks: Vegetables, reduced fat cheese, nuts

What's making news in nutrition?

Protein-rich breakfast prevents hunger

Not only is breakfast the most important meal of the day, but how much protein you have is also important. A small study published in the AJCN showed eating a protein rich breakfast significantly improves appetite control and reduces unhealthy snacking in the evening. In the study, overweight or obese adolescent females either skipped breakfast, consumed a 350 calorie, high protein (35g protein) breakfast or ate a 350 calorie, normal protein breakfast. Not suprisingly, those who ate the high protein breakfast had increased satiety and reduced food cravings, shown through MRI imaging, blood tests and questionnaires.

 

Introducing solids to babies

With lots of friends my age becoming first time mothers, I have become interested in infant and toddler nutrition. Since I have been a dietitian, the debate over when to introduce solids to babies has always been a hot topic. A recent article published in Pediatrics Journal reported that many mums introduce solids to babies before they are 4 months old. There is agreement amongst countries that solids should be introduced no earlier than 4 months. The concern with introducing babies to solids before 4 months is that early introduction may increase the risk of some chronic diseases, allergies and it also means the benefits of breastfeeding are cut short.

The recommendation in Australia still remains to breastfeed/ formula feed exclusively until 6 months old and continue supplemental breastfeeing until at least 12 months.

 

 

Organic doesn't always equal healthy  

Studies have shown foods labelled as 'organic' can lead us to think that a food is healthier, through the 'health halo effect'. In one particular study, shoppers were asked to rate the taste, calorie content and price they'd pay for items labelled 'organic' versus 'regular'. Despite the shoppers knowing, both products were identical; it was just that one was labelled 'organic' and the other 'regular'. The shoppers perceptions were that the 'organic' varieties had fewer calories, were lower in fat, more nutritious, more flavourful and they were willing to pay 23.4% more.

This study found people who regularly read nutrition labels are less susceptible to the organic 'health halo' effect. So, next time you're tempted to buy an 'occasional' food such as chips or biscuits that is labelled 'organic'; read the nutrition information panel to check if you're making the best choice. In addition, the use of the word 'organic' is not regulated in Australia. If you wish to choose organic, always try and choose foods that are 'certified organic'.

 

The 5:2 Diet: healthy or fad?

What is the 5:2 Diet?

The 5:2 Diet involves 5 days of "feasting" and 2 days of "fasting". On the "feast" days you can eat "normally", as long as you don't go overboard. On the "fast" days, you eat 25% of the calories of a normal diet. On average, that's 500 calories for women and 600 calories for men. The calories can be eaten all at once (just one meal) or spread out throughout the day.

What are the pro's?

• No food groups are eliminated on the "feast" days
• Increases people's awareness of what they're eating  

What are the con's?

• Lethargy and lack of concentration on "fast" days
• Doesn't encourage healthy eating, as you can eat whatever you like on "fast" days
• There is uncertainty and lack of evidence surrounding 'intermittent fasting' and whether it is healthy
• People who continue to make poor food choices on the "feast" days still won't lose weight
• Not sustainable longterm

What can I eat on a "fast" day?

* Sourced from http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/woman/4777246/WE-try-the-latest-diet-craze-intermittent-fasting-where-you-fast-for-just-2-days-a-week.html 

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs (2 eggs and splash of skim milk) served with 2 grilled tomatoes (170 calories).
Dinner: Baked beans with a baked potato using a small 200g can of baked beans and a 150g baking potato (320 calories).
Total: 490 calories

Breakfast: Fruit salad made with an orange, an apple and a small banana (50g), served topped with 100g of low-fat plain cottage cheese (220 calories). Dinner: Chicken stir-fry made with 120g lean chicken breasts cut into thin strips, a little soy sauce and 200g cooked weight of frozen stir-fry vegetables (280 calories).
Total: 500 calories

Breakfast: Skimmed-milk latte (250ml) with a plain croissant (270 calories).
Dinner: Tuna salad using 110g canned tuna, lots of lettuce and cucumber, a teaspoon of light salad cream and a warm mini-pitta (230 calories).
Total: 500 calories

My thoughts?

The 5:2 diet is not sustainable long-term and doesn't teach you the foundations of a good diet. The "fast" days will leave you feeling hungry and lethargic, and with no energy to exercise.

Eat well-balanced, healthy meals with at least 2 serves fish per week, 2 serves legumes/ lentils per week (1 serve = 1/2 cup), 3 serves of low fat dairy a day, 2 serves of fruit and 5 serves of vegetables a day. Allow yourself 1 "cheat" meal a week, perhaps on the weekend, where you eat whatever you like. If you're after something sweet, allow yourself a treat to cure the craving, but be sensible! If you open the packet of tim-tams, eat 1, not the whole packet.

If you eat well-balanced meals, limit your intake of calories from drinks (alcohol, coffee, juices, smoothies, energy drinks) and exercise at least 150 minutes a week; you'll be healthier, happier and have more energy!

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