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When it comes to eating out, there are always ways to be mindful and choose wisely so that your weekly meal while eating out will not sabotage all the efforts you make to stay healthy.

Here are 4 healthy tips on deciding what to order while eating out

1. Vegetables
Whenever possible, choose a dish that includes vegetables. For example, stir-fries, salads, vegetarian pizzas.

2. Healthier side dishes
Choose healthier sides such as steamed vegetables or a side salad instead of garlic bread, spring rolls or prawn crackers.

3. Lower calories
If you are getting takeaway instead of eating at a restaurant, you could order a lower calorie side dish and combine it with vegetables at home to make a complete meal. For example, the chicken kickers at Dominos is only about 50 calories, it could be combined with a fresh salad (that consists of a cucumber, feta, red onion, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, olive oil and lemon juice).

4. Customising meals
Choose restaurants where you can customise your meal by picking the ingredients. For example, an oven roasted 6 inch chicken sub from Subway could consist of 9 grain whole wheat bread with all the vegetables or as many as possible while omitting cheese and dressing. This choice will be a low calorie, low saturated fat and low sodium option.

Examples of lower calorie and lower saturated fat options while eating out are:

  • Spicy veg trio from Dominos
  • Snack chicken wrap from Mcdonalds
  • Thai beef salad
  • Curries
  • Stir fries
  • Vegetarian dumplings
  • Salmon and cucumber roll
  • Shrimp sushi roll
  • Vegetable sushi roll

Examples on how to control portions while eating out or getting takeaway are:

  • Having a healthy snack at home before eating out: this could be a tub of yoghurt, a muesli bar such as go natural or be natural, a piece of fruit or a handful of nuts.
  • Using a smaller plate if possible. If you are eating at home, empty your food from the container onto a smaller plate.
  • Sharing your meals with others and having a side salad to increase your intake of vegetables.
  • Skipping the entree as they can add a couple of extra calories and saturated fat.

Contact us for results focused on nutritional advice

This article was written by our dietitian and nutritionist Juhi Bhambhaney. If you have any questions regarding health and nutrition, make an appointment with one of our dietitians. We‘ll provide you with a simple and effective routine targeted to your concerns. Contact us today.

The post 4 Healthy tips on deciding what to order while eating out appeared first on ENT Wellbeing Sydney.

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Some people often feel that they cannot fill up on small amounts of food and they find themselves going for second and third servings. These excess calories exceed energy requirements and cause people to gain weight. Most people tend to blame themselves for having poor self-control but more often than not, our erratic meal patterns and lifestyles are the reason for overeating and not the lack of self-care.

Here are a couple of tips that can help you fill up without the excess calories:

1. Include adequate protein in the diet

Protein has the ability to control appetite. This is due to its effect on appetite controlling hormones such as leptin and glucagon like peptide-1( GLP-1). Protein enhances the effect of leptin and GLP-1. This means that by including a small amount of protein at each meal, we can feel full for longer. Sources of protein include meat, legumes, tofu, eggs, nuts and dairy products. An example of a protein for breakfast could be eggs on wholegrain toast. Healthy snack options such as nuts and yoghurt also contain protein.

2. Five serves of vegetables

Vegetables are amazing as they are low in calories but are packed with vitamins, minerals and fibre required by the body. When you feel the need to go for seconds, add in those vegetables. Believe it or not, you can actually eat vegetables to your heart’s content as long they are not cooked in a lot of oil. In fact, stir fried vegetables or salads should always accompany main meals on the table.

3. Drink adequate water

Drink adequate quantities of water in a day. Often the body’s thirst signal can be mistaken as hunger. Also, keep in mind that the response to thirst should only be drinking water and not juice or sugary drinks as functions performed by water cannot be performed by any other drink.

4. Mindful eating

Take out time in the day to sit down and have proper meals in a stress free environment. It is important to chew every mouthful slowly as the gut and brain have a powerful connection where in the gut talks to the brain when you have eaten enough and the brain sends through the signal that you have eaten adequately. These signalling processes cannot take place efficiently when you are eating too quickly.

5. Adequate sleep

Less than 7-8 hours of sleep can increase the level of the ghrelin hormone which is responsible for increasing appetite. In addition, inadequate sleep decreases the leptin hormone which is responsible for controlling appetite. So if you find yourself grazing throughout the day, a possible reason could be inadequate sleep.

6. Low GI carbohydrates

Choose wholegrain carbohydrate, not refined carbohydrates. Refined carbohydrates found in processed snacks, takeaway meals, muffins and cakes cause a spike in blood sugar and a crash pretty soon after. On the other hand, unprocessed carbohydrates such as wholegrain bread, fruits, oats etc contribute to keeping the blood sugar levels stable. In addition, unprocessed carbohydrates will keep you full for longer as their fibre content slows absorption.

Remember, it is easier to control the quantity of your meals when the quality of the meals is better and other lifestyle factors such as sleep are also taken care of.

Contact us for results focused on nutritional advice

This article was written by our dietitian and nutritionist Juhi Bhambhaney. If you have any questions regarding health and nutrition, make an appointment with one of our dietitians. We‘ll provide you with a simple and effective routine targeted to your concerns. Contact us today.

The post How to avoid going for seconds appeared first on ENT Wellbeing Sydney.

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Some people often feel that they cannot fill up on small amounts of food and they find themselves going for second and third servings. These excess calories exceed energy requirements and cause people to gain weight. Most people tend to blame themselves for having poor self-control but more often than not, our erratic meal patterns and lifestyles are the reason for overeating and not the lack of self-care.

Here are a couple of tips that can help you fill up without the excess calories:

1. Include adequate protein in the diet

Protein has the ability to control appetite. This is due to its effect on appetite controlling hormones such as leptin and glucagon like peptide-1( GLP-1). Protein enhances the effect of leptin and GLP-1. This means that by including a small amount of protein at each meal, we can feel full for longer. Sources of protein include meat, legumes, tofu, eggs, nuts and dairy products. An example of a protein for breakfast could be eggs on wholegrain toast. Healthy snack options such as nuts and yoghurt also contain protein.

2. Five serves of vegetables

Vegetables are amazing as they are low in calories but are packed with vitamins, minerals and fibre required by the body. When you feel the need to go for seconds, add in those vegetables. Believe it or not, you can actually eat vegetables to your heart’s content as long they are not cooked in a lot of oil. In fact, stir fried vegetables or salads should always accompany main meals on the table.

3. Drink adequate water

Drink adequate quantities of water in a day. Often the body’s thirst signal can be mistaken as hunger. Also, keep in mind that the response to thirst should only be drinking water and not juice or sugary drinks as functions performed by water cannot be performed by any other drink.

4. Mindful eating

Take out time in the day to sit down and have proper meals in a stress free environment. It is important to chew every mouthful slowly as the gut and brain have a powerful connection where in the gut talks to the brain when you have eaten enough and the brain sends through the signal that you have eaten adequately. These signalling processes cannot take place efficiently when you are eating too quickly.

5. Adequate sleep

Less than 7-8 hours of sleep can increase the level of the ghrelin hormone which is responsible for increasing appetite. In addition, inadequate sleep decreases the leptin hormone which is responsible for controlling appetite. So if you find yourself grazing throughout the day, a possible reason could be inadequate sleep.

6. Low GI carbohydrates

Choose wholegrain carbohydrate, not refined carbohydrates. Refined carbohydrates found in processed snacks, takeaway meals, muffins and cakes cause a spike in blood sugar and a crash pretty soon after. On the other hand, unprocessed carbohydrates such as wholegrain bread, fruits, oats etc contribute to keeping the blood sugar levels stable. In addition, unprocessed carbohydrates will keep you full for longer as their fibre content slows absorption.

Remember, it is easier to control the quantity of your meals when the quality of the meals is better and other lifestyle factors such as sleep are also taken care of.

Contact us for results focused on nutritional advice

This article was written by our dietitian and nutritionist Juhi Bhambhaney. If you have any questions regarding health and nutrition, make an appointment with one of our dietitians. We‘ll provide you with a simple and effective routine targeted to your concerns. Contact us today.

The post How to avoid going for seconds appeared first on ENT Wellbeing Sydney.

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The teen years are the time when your body is growing and developing in a big way, building up your muscles and bones. Eating a nutritious diet is not just about maintaining weight but also about ensuring that your body is receiving all the nutrients it requires to function well and ensure that you can perform all your daily tasks to your highest potential. Unfortunately, there is a lot of information in the media telling you either to avoid a food group completely to be healthy or to over consume other foods as they are ‘super foods’. Every week, there is a new fad diet in the media and often it is hard to make informed food choices with so much conflicting and confusing information out there. Keep in mind that you do not any need to follow any special ‘diet’. It is all about eating a balanced diet consisting of the different food groups which include wholegrain breads, cereals, fruits, vegetables, low fat dairy, protein and healthy fats. In addition, being physically active is also very important. As a teenager, you should try and avoid being inactive during the day and at night have 6-8 hours of quality sleep to ensure you are energized for the next day.

A survey done on eating patterns among adolescents found similar eating habits across the teenage population which included:

• Skipping breakfast
• Regularly eating dinner in front of the television
• Eating foods away from home which can often include more fast food meals
• Purchasing meals from the school canteen and vending machine

Here are a 5 tips to start with

1. Avoid skipping breakfast!
A high fibre, high protein breakfast that keeps you full for longer will help reduce unnecessary snacking throughout the day. In addition, you are more likely to meet your needs for Vitamin A, C, riboflavin, calcium, iron and zinc.

2. Reduce eating out
Parents should be role models and prepare healthy, nutritious meals for themselves and their children. As a teenager, you are old enough to help with grocery shopping and food preparation. Packing a nutritious lunch from home can prevent you from making wrong food choices from the school canteen and vending machines.

3. Avoid consuming sweetened beverages
Soft drinks are extremely popular among teenagers but as you may know they are full of sugar, provide you with no nutrients and in fact harm you more than you can imagine. Dental caries and weak bones can be caused by over consumption of soft drinks. In addition, due to the massive amount of sugar (10 teaspoons!), they alone can be responsible for you gaining weight.

4. Stock up on healthy snacks
It is natural for a young person to be hungry from time to time during the day specially when you study, do homework and participate in sports. There is nothing wrong with having snacks but again these snacks should have some nutrient value. Examples of healthy snacks include fruits, low fat yoghurt, wholegrain crackers with avocado or low fat cheese, vegetable sticks with hummus and air popped popcorn and nuts.

5. Make healthier choices and portion control when you eat out
Trying to be healthy does not mean you cannot enjoy an occasional treat with your friends. However it is important that the entire weekend is not a feast consisting of burgers and pizzas. Try to make healthier choices where you can such as wholegrain sandwiches and sushi rolls and/ or portion control the fast food. For example, the burger need not accompany the fries and a soft drink. You can always add on a healthy snack or a side salad from elsewhere if you are still hungry. Another way to portion control is to share your meals with your friends. It is beneficial to instil the habit early on of not letting your time with friends be a time of over-indulging on fast food, soft drinks and processed snacks. Instead it should be an uplifting and pleasant time spent with moderate indulgence on treat foods and a good amount of outdoor activities.

Bonus tip: Mindful eating
When we label treat foods as ‘bad’ or ‘forbidden’, it gives them too much power and they start controlling us more. Remember – you are in the driver’s seat. Your cravings don’t drive you crazy; you go crazy trying to constantly address your cravings. Cravings for particular foods like a ‘sugar craving’ often disappear if you distract yourself with an alternate activity like going out for a walk or talking to a friend. Furthermore, you must aim to eat adequate amounts of food to make sure that your craving is not stemming from a feeling of hunger.

Contact us for results focused on nutritional advice

Contact us today to make an appointment, to learn more or have any questions regarding health and nutrition. We‘ll provide you with a simple and effective routine targeted to your concerns.

This article was written by our dietitian and nutritionist Juhi Bhambhaney.

The post 5 tips to help a teenager receive a well-balanced diet appeared first on ENT Wellbeing Sydney.

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Hypothyroidism, also known as an underactive thyroid, is a condition where your thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormone.

The thyroid gland has a number of important roles such as, regulating the body’s metabolic rate and the heart and digestive function.

Here are 5 tips for people with hypothyroidism

  • Iodine, is required by the body to synthesize the thyroid hormone. Sources of iodine can be found in oysters, seaweed and bread (with iodized salt)
  • Selenium, is required by the liver and kidney to make the thyroid hormone (T3 active form). Sources of selenium can be found in Brazil nuts, fish and seafood.
  • Avoid excessive consummation of cruciferous vegetables, such as cauliflower, broccoli and cassava. Especially for people with low iodine intake and for people who have a goiter.A recommendation for patients is to cook cruciferous vegetables to help reduce its negative impact. Cooking these vegetables will reduce the potency of the goiterogenic substances they contain.
  • Avoid gluten, as it can be an issue for some hypothyroidism patients. The immune system, can sometimes confuse components of gluten with thyroid tissue and attack the thyroid tissue instead. A recommendation for patients with an underactive thyroid is to get tested for celiac disease.
  • Limit your intake of soy foods, as they affect the absorption of the hormones that you might be taking.

This article is written as a source of general information only and is not a substitute for thorough assessment and management by a medical practitioner. If you have concerns regarding thyroid disease make an appointment to see your local doctor.

Contact us for results focused on nutritional advice

Contact us today to make an appointment, to learn more or have any questions regarding health and nutrition. We‘ll provide you with a simple and effective routine targeted to your concerns.

This article was written by our dietitian and nutritionist Juhi Bhambhaney.

The post 5 tips to consider for people with hypothyroidism appeared first on ENT Wellbeing Sydney.

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