Water soluble vitamins: Biotin & Pantothenic Acid

– Less well known substances that play important roles in energy metabolism
– Pantothenic Acid is destroyed by processing e.g. freezing, canning, refining
– Egg whites (raw) can bind Biotin blockign absorption BUT large and sustained amounts would be needed for any deficiency to occur.

Water Soluble Vitamins: Vitamin B12

– B12 is destroyed in microwave cooking. Use a stovetop method to cook foods to retain B12, but remember as a water soluble vitamin some will be lost in water if boiled etc.
– For most people Vitamin B12 deficiency is rare. It is reabsorbed by the body so it can take up to 3 years to become deficient if intake suddenly stops.
– B12 relies on a molecule from the stomach called ‘Intrinsic factor’ in order to be identified by the body and reabsorbed. Lack of intrinsic factor can lead to deficiency symptoms. 
– B12 also depends on folate to be activated (and vice versa) so deficiency of one relates to the other.
– As B12 is mainly present in animal derived foods this is one area of risk for particularly vegans as lacto-ovo vegetarians will gain some from dairy/ eggs. Consuming fortified foods or a B12 containing nutritional yeast are the best sources for vegans. B12 in spirulina or miso is not in an active / available form and cannot be used by the body.

Susan Bown.

The post More on Water Soluble Vitamins appeared first on Food Fix 4 Life.

Here we break down some basic pointers on the Water Soluble Vitamins for you…

Water soluble vitamins are excreted in our urine – as they are not stored in the body we need to consume them on a regular (daily) basis.

Vitamin C

• Vitamin C is also known as Ascorbic Acid
• Meeting Vitamin C needs without fruit and vegetables is almost impossible i.e. Meat, legumes, grains, bread, milk, and processed foods are POOR sources
• Scurvy, the deficiency of Vitamin C, is characterised by bleeding gums, pin prick rash/ bleeding, easy bruising and joint pain
• Smokers need an increased intake of vitamin C
• Vitamin C is easily destroyed by heat and oxygen (cooking and storage of food).
• Consuming vitamin C with iron rich foods (such as meat) increases the body’s absorption of iron. So enjoying meat with broccoli, capsicum and brussel sprouts (or if you are one of THOSE people pineapple ?)
• New research into diabetes has found Vitamin C may play a role in blood sugar levels in those with Type 2 diabetes (https://diabetesnsw.com.au/helpful-resources/news/vitamin-c-found-to-help-type-2/) (Note: consult your doctor before taking any supplements)

B group

Vitamin B1: Thiamin

• Thiamin supplementation of bread-making flour is mandatory in Australia, meaning deficiency is rare.
• As a water soluble vitamin thiamin is not stored in the body and is excreted in urine
• Vitamin B1 is easily destroyed in cooking. Steaming or microwaving is recommended to prevent leaching of vitamin into water.
• Many foods contribute small amounts of B1 adding up to the overall required intake
• Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is usually associated with alcoholics.

Vitamin B2: Riboflavin

• Low amounts of B2 impacts the function of vitamin B6
• Most people in Australia meet or exceed the RDI. You would need to eat 2 large bowls of cereal with skim milk to obtain the RDI.
• Riboflavin is easily destroyed by sunlight (UV light) but not heat. This is why milk is not generally sold in clear containers.
• Vitamin B2, being water soluble, leaches into cooking fluids so boiling may reduce amount
• Vegans need to obtain riboflavin from green leafy vegetables, enriched grains or nutritional yeast.

Vitamin B3: Niacin

• Niacin intakes in Australian usually exceed the RDI. To be deficient you would need to have low intakes of niacin AND tryptophan.
• The disease of B2 deficiency, pellagra, is known as the 3 D’s: Diarrhoea, Dermatitis, Dementia and can lead to a 4^th D = Death.
• Found in almost protein containing foods including meats, dairy and eggs
• Niacin is less impacted by cooking than other water soluble vitamins. It can withstand average cooking time but WILL leach into water.

Vitamin B6

• B6 is stored in muscle tissue, unlike most of the other B vitamins which are not stored
• If you consume a mixed diet, i.e. plant and meat then 75% of the B6 you consume will be absorbed by the body. If you only consume a plant based diet this is likely to be lower because of the form that B6 is found in plants
• B6 is lost from foods when heated
• Alcohol can destroy or cause the loss of B6
• In the past B6 intake needs were thought to be dependant on protein intake – however there isn’t evidence to support this and Australia now has an RDI that does not relate on protein intake.

Stay tuned, more to come….

By Susan Bown

The post Water Soluble Vitamins appeared first on Food Fix 4 Life.

Vitamin A

• As the name suggests ‘fat soluble’ vitamins, such as Vitamin A, are ones that need to be consumed alongside some fats so that they can be used by the body.
• To get optimal nutrition out of plant sources pair with fats such as salad dressing on your salad (it doesn’t need to be much).
• Most colourful fruits and vegetables will contain beta-carotene (the plant form of Vitamin A) especially yellow, orange and red ones, however, green veg are often also high in beta-carotene but their high chlorophyll content determines the green colour.
• Some fortified foods can also offer a source of Vitamin A including milks, margarines and cornflakes.
• Vitamin A is stored in our liver – hence you don’t have to eat it everyday as any excess will be stored. It’s also why eating liver is the richest source of Vitamin A. However because it gets stored in our body there is a slight risk of toxicity if too much is eaten or if supplements are taken without guidance.
• As little as 1/2 cup or 50g of sweet potato may be enough to meet the Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI) for an adult.

Vitamin D

• The body makes vitamin D from exposure to sunlight and cholesterol.
• The body can make all of its Vitamin D requirement given sufficient sunlight (only a few minutes a day, a little longer in winter than summer), however, it’s often estimated that a bit over 80% comes from sunlight and the rest from foods.
• Besides sunlight, Vitamin D is only obtained naturally from animal based products – vegans and vegetarians should look for fortified options (e.g. soy milk).
• If you don’t get out into the sun, or cover up for religious, cultural, health or mobility reasons you may also need to monitor and consider your intake form other sources. The elderly can particularly be at risk.
• Vitamin D is considered the most toxic vitamin. Because it is stored in the body, consuming excess (usually from supplements) is dangerous. Toxicity from sunlight is not a risk however prolonged sun exposure has other risks.
• Note: Vitamin D doesn’t have a Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI) but rather what is considered an Adequate Intake (AI) amount. You will see this on several vitamins and minerals where a recommended intake amount has not been established.

Vitamin K

• Similar to Vitamin D which is made by the body, Vitamin K is made by the bacteria in your gastrointestinal tract. However unlike Vitamin D the body can’t make enough vitamin K to meet all our needs, we have to get approximately half from food sources.
• Because newborn babies have a sterile intestinal tract they are given a dose of Vitamin K as soon as they are born.
• Without Vitamin K’s blood clotting contribution, we could potentially bleed to death from the smallest cut. In fact the K stands for ‘Koagulation’ the Danish word for ‘coagulation’ or ‘clotting’.
• Vegetable oils such as canola oil are also a source of Vitamin K.

Vitamin E

• Vitamin E can also be known as Alpha-Tocopherol
• It is an anti-coagulant, reducing abnormal blood clotting and prevent blood vessel blockage
• Its antioxidant properties protect your cells from damage
• Because it is destroyed by heating/ freezing processed foods do not contribute much Vitamin E to the diet.
• Regular intake is required as it is only stored in body for a short period of time
• Deficiency and toxciity are rare – it is the least toxic of the fat soluble vitamins
• Vitamin E has an Adequate Intake recommendation rather than a Recommended Dietary Intake RDI

Susan Bown

The post Ever get overwhelmed with all the different vitamins? appeared first on Food Fix 4 Life.

Slave to exercise

Written by Jess Sheargold

Food fitness & lifestyle coach. Food Fix 4 life Franchisee – Sydney Australia.

I first began a structured exercise routine about 10 years ago.

My lifestyle was lacking movement, so including daily exercises was a choice for my health; to be a healthy body weight, have energy for daily life and activities, and have less pain by gaining strength in the areas I needed.

When starting out I enjoyed exercise and how it made me feel and I liked the changes I saw in my body. I saw progress and continued to increase intensity, becoming capable of things I didn’t think possible.

At some point though I became a slave to exercise… something I had to do rather than chose to. I don’t know specifically when this happened, but reflecting back I have realised some of the things that identified this switch;

• Worrying what would happen even if I missed one session. Feeling guilty if I did.
• Continuing even when injured or knowing it could cause injury.
• Always having to increase my intensity and abilities (even when I had reached a sufficient level of fitness for what I needed)
• Letting my fitness, abilities and discipline define my identity.
• Prioritizing time to go to the gym or a class over anything else in my life.
• If I wasn’t sweating, then it wasn’t a workout.
• I allowed others to dictate my beliefs. When I was doing enough, what I should be wanting, and comparing with others to find satisfaction.

I know you may look at this list and think, “there wasn’t anything wrong”, but for me there was. It took a diagnosis of borderline Adrenal Fatigue to finally realize I was doing too much, and facing serious health consequences before I could give myself permission to change. The exercise routine that had started out for improving my health, was now doing the exact opposite.

Over the last year I have made changes and enjoyed exploring new forms of movement.

Understanding that changes to my routine are needed at different stages of life.

Of course, there has been changes in my body’s appearance and ability. But is that really a bad thing? My body doesn’t need to be able perform at the level it was, or look the way it did to be healthy.

Now;

• I still feel strong and have less pain, even if I can’t do as many push ups on my toes as I used to, or ‘keep up with the boys’.
• I am a few kg heavier, a size larger in clothing and less toned than I once was. But the internal health of my body is recovering.
• I am learning to enjoy walking instead of running, Pilates instead of a HIIT class, and feeling replenished instead of ‘smashed’ after a workout.
• I can sleep in some morning’s if that is what I need and have rest days without a structured workout.
• I can go on holiday and not worry about ‘fitting in my workouts’.

It’s a continual work in progress but I am finding more balance and choosing not to be a slave to exercise. We were created for freedom, with the power to choose instead of “being forced”. Even when it’s often only our own mind enslaving us.

Jess xx

The post Slave to exercise appeared first on Food Fix 4 Life.

Our body needs fuel to function, and the amount you need to eat is dependent on those fuel requirements. Anything below 1500 calories per day for those exercising, will put your body into starvation and be detrimental to your goals.

Under eating may give quick short-term results seeing changes to your body but is not going to be sustainable long-term. Under eating will also cause inability to build muscle and even burn muscle for fuel when necessary. Over eating or anything in excess will put unnecessary pressure on the body. It can only do its best to deal with the excess – e.g. storing body fat.

Our bodies have a built-in fuel dial called hunger and appetite, not only signalling energy is needed but also nutrients. Listening to these warning and signals correctly will enable you to consume the fuel your individual body needs. When the fuel dial is signalling low the most important focus is to put quality food into your body. Hunger is satisfied but nourishing food, giving your body what it needs to function. Choose products not from a packet, factory or drive through window. Instead fresh from nature, minimally processed, still containing the original nutrients they were designed to have.

The latest fad or diet may be packaged in an appealing way but cannot override the proven science of what your body needs. A healthy relationship with food will become a lifestyle that supports long-term change. This is most important, as to not live from one diet to the next.

By Jess.

The post How much do I eat? appeared first on Food Fix 4 Life.

“I just don’t get it, I train twice a day every day and I’m not seeing any results! WHY?” Does this sound a little too familiar? Read on…

A common trend I see as a Nutritionist and fitness professional is the constant over training mentality coupled with the reduced intake of adequate nutrition to the body. A common misconception when training is the mindset of increased training will lead to bigger and better gains, whether that be muscle growth and weight gain, fat burning in order to lose weight, or fat burning in order to get leaner.

When it comes to training, sometimes an increase in vigorous exercise does not lead to this desired notion, if fact it can put our bodies under oxidative stress which is caused by free radicals that create damage or ‘oxidize’ cells through our bodies. Over time this can lead to cell and tissue damage leaving the cells and tissues unable to function properly. In general one steady state training session up to 55-60 mins in total once a day can be sufficient or one HIIT 30min training session up to twice a week. One session of mind body training such as yoga, tai chi or Pilates up to twice a week with two days of consecutive rest is important to allow the body to recover properly. Now, say you have your training in proper balance through the week with your added rest days, but still not achieving your results? What’s next?

The second big misconception that people can generally face is getting the right nutrition to complement their training. Ensuring right amount of macronutrients (protein, fats and carbohydrates) are important in large amounts for muscle growth and development, brain function and for energy production. Micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) are needed in smaller amounts and are found in a range of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds and are required for many processes in our bodies.

So how can you adapt your diet and lifestyle to ensure that you are eating correctly and are not undereating and not over training?

1. Cutting back on training and finding a balance between enough rest and enough exercise, to prevent oxidative stress in your body, speak to your PT or Fitness instructor to help you find the right balance for you.
2. Introducing 5 meals day, 3 bigger meals with protein, fats and carbohydrates (mainly from a range of fruits and vegetables).
3. Introducing 2 small snacks morning and afternoon to help stimulate an active metabolism, so your body does not go into starvation mode and store fat.
4. De- stress, take regular breaks and holidays to help keep you on track.
5. Have you PT change your training regularly to help challenge you.

Always remember it is important to find the right balance and consistency with training, along with optimal nutrition in order to achieve long term sustainability.

By Karola x

The post Over training and under eating? appeared first on Food Fix 4 Life.

Susan from Foodfix4Life has some tips for a happy healthy festive season.

Snacks and platters

• Avoid potato chips (no nutritional value) instead try raw nuts or small serve of cheese (feta or cheddar, not brie or camembert) and grain/ seed crackers.
• Prepare a dip platter using veg such as carrot and celery and non-creamy dips like salsa or hummus.
• Keep track of how much you are eating – use a small plate rather than just grazing from the main platter.

Main meals

• Roast/ BBQ lean meat with veg or salad are ideal – stay away from pork crackling and chicken skin.
• Swap potato or pasta salad for slaw or green salads. If you want the creamy dressing drizzle combine mayo with natural or greek yoghurt, wholegrain mustard and thin with water or lemon juice.
• Watch serving sizes – start with a smaller plate, a huge helping makes you more likely to overeat and not stop when full.

Sweets/ Dessert

• Combine cacao, dates, almond meal and coconut to make a nutritious truffle or ‘rum ball’
• Prepare a fruit platter

Food Safety

• Temperature Danger zone (bacteria start to multiply) = 5° – 60°C
• Potentially hazardous foods include meat, fish and poultry, dairy, cooked rice and pasta (incl salads), pre-packaged salads (including spinach/ lettuce leaves).
• If these foods have been at room temp (including preparation/ serving) for:
  • 2 hours – either refrigerate or cook ASAP
  • 2-4 hours – consume immediately
  • 4 hours – discard, do not re-refrigerate/freeze. Freezing may stop bacterial growth but will not kill existing bacteria.

By Susan Bown.

The post Festive season tips appeared first on Food Fix 4 Life.

Since the 1970’s, dietary guidelines in most Westernised countries have recommended a low fat, high carbohydrate diet regime. This was based on some questionable science, conducted by a scientist/nutritionist called Ancel Keys, who had an axe to grind and a pet theory to prove. Namely that health, particularly heart disease, was affected by various kinds of fat in the diet. The upshot of this was that the powers-that-be at that time were convinced and the USA nutritional guidelines were changed to reflect this. Fat was bad, and carbohydrate was good. This was to try to reduce the apparent epidemic of heart disease, which was the biggest killer of the time. This was decided despite the fact that the human diet historically had low carbs and moderate amounts of protein and fat. Carbohydrate in serious quantities only became freely available from about 12-13000 years ago, with the establishment of agricultural practices in the Middle East.

The food industry rose to the challenge. Food with little fat tastes very unpalatable, and to make it more acceptable to the masses, large amounts of sugar were added. The scene was set for another epidemic, which duly came to pass.

Since 1974, the incidence of obesity and type 2 diabetes has steadily climbed. The lower the fat, the higher the sugar content in food. Heart disease remains the biggest cause of death, although the incidence of heart disease has declined somewhat. The decline in heart disease correlates better with the decline in smoking

The medical profession’s response to the rise in diabetes was to continue to expound the high carb message and to prescribe more medication. This was based on the premise that the human body needs glucose, which is the final breakdown product of carbs, as its energy source. In fact, the only organ in the body which needs glucose as its essential energy source is the brain. Every other part of the body can and does run on fat, which is a cleaner and more efficient energy source. Glucose is more instantly available, so can be used for very intense activity, such as sprinting. Hunter gatherers would trail their prey for long distances, at slow speeds, using fat for energy, and then use glucose in the rush or the final kill, or possibly to run away, if the prey turned on them!

Because of the widespread availability of carbs all year round, and the general lack of exercise, we have become conditioned to running on carbs all the time. Excess carbs in the diet are first used to fill the body’s glycogen (carb) stores. The rest is converted to fat, which is the body’s long term energy storage. Because of the excess carbs in the diet, more and more fat is stored, leading to obesity.

In further news I will go into more detail about how we can change this and help diabetics get healthy and off their medication.

Dr Shirley

The post Carbohydrate restriction in Type 2 diabetes mellitus. appeared first on Food Fix 4 Life.

Raw & Whipped by Claire is a business focussed on healthy treats.

Claire has partnered with Foodfix4life for a line up of Raw cakes, slices, bliss balls plus more to keep those cravings at bay.

All recipes are developed with Foodfix4life for health and well being. Raw & Whipped uses wholesome ingredients with no refined sugars, artificial flavours or sweeteners.

GF cooking is also available.

Together we can share our passion for a healthy way of life, whilst enjoying guilt free treats!

No time to make those GF muffins and Bliss Balls on the Foodfix4life program? No problem, Raw & Whipped will make them for you, and deliver straight to your door or you can arrange pick up!

To place your order of muffins or bliss balls contact Claire.

Keep an aye out, and like Raw and Whipped Facebook page with images and product selection.

Raw and Whipped also has a sister company called

Sugar Whipped cakes for all your personalised cakes and cupcakes.

Feel free to see browse some of Claire’s outstanding inspiration for your next party or event!

Ph: 0415 783 347

The post Raw & Whipped appeared first on Food Fix 4 Life.

1 500g packet chicken mince (I use double and freeze the leftovers) The pic below shows 1kg of chicken mince.

2 x Momma’s chicken stock
Water – approx 2 l
2 carrots diced
4 potatoes diced (or use sweet potato)
3 celery sticks diced
Salt, pepper and garlic
Eggs
Breadcrumbs (GF if you wish)
Grated parmesan cheese
Olive oil

Opt- Crusty bread or  1/2 cup rice.
Meatballs

1.Combine 500g mince, 3/4 cup grated parmesan, 3/4 cup breadcrumbs and 1 egg.
You can also add some chopped parsley- if the kids don’t mind the green.
If you use double mixture just use 1 cup grated parmesan, 2 eggs and 1 cup breadcrumbs.
2. Mix and roll into balls.
3. Place in a seperate saucepan of boiling water for just 10 mins.
4. Drain and set aside to add to soup.

Soup

1. Add some oil to pan then garlic.
2. Add hard veg such as potatoes and carrots and stir fry.
3. Add 2 x packets of the stock then about 2l -3l of water. You need a big pot.
make sure the liquid is not to the top. The liquid should be about 3/4 to the top because then you add the meatballs and the liquid will rise.
4. Add celery and meatballs and bring to the boil.
5. Reduce heat and simmer for about an hour on low heat.

Yum!

2-3 cups per serve.

The post Winter Wonder Soup- Chicken meatball. appeared first on Food Fix 4 Life.