As featured on Shaw Talk
Every person and body is different, reacting to food in incredibly unique ways. Nutritionists are often used to evaluate one’s nutritional needs, root out health issues and create individualised plans to improve relationships with food. We spoke to Sarina Coventry, BHSc Nutritionist and huge promoter of womens health. Check out four common questions that people ask regarding their nutrition.
1. SHOULD I CUT OUT COFFEE?
The short answer is no, but I encourage you to reign it in.If you are anything like me, I am a huge fan of coffee as part of my morning ritual. The more important question is how many coffees are you drinking a day and why?
If it’s one, occasionally two morning coffees I wouldn’t be worried but three going on five is a little more iffy. If you are reaching for coffee throughout the day as an energy booster or afternoon “wake me up” there could be something more sinister going on with your diet or lifestyle that needs to be addressed.
Agreed, coffee is liquid gold but consuming too much caffeine (more than 2 coffees) can spike your cortisol (a stress hormone). This can contribute to anxiety and sleeping difficulties, reduce the absorption of nutrients and negatively affect your energy!
If your caffeine intake is through the roof, try to gradually cut it down over the course of a few weeks. Eventually that morning cup of caffeine will be enough to keep you on fire for the rest of the day!
2. ARE CARBS BAD FOR ME?
Hell no! To demonise the heavenly potato is just plain wrong. It’s all about your choice people. Carbohydrates serve the body as a primary source of energy and fall into 2 main categories, complex and simple. The difference between these is more than just wholegrain VS white bread and an apple over a croissant.
What’s the difference between simple and complex carbs?
Simple carbs are quick to breakdown and digest, which can spike blood sugar levels and leave you feeling hungry even when you’ve just eaten. Along these lines are refined foods including white rice and bread, packaged sweets and sugars.
Complex carbs are more of your hard workers that keep you fuller for longer, are more nutrient dense and are regarded as a “whole” food. These are your legumes, whole-grains including brown rice and quinoa as well at potatoes and corn.
So before cutting out carbs as a whole, understand the types of carbohydrates and their importance in fuelling your body and providing energy!
3. WHY DOES MY POOP MATTER SO MUCH?
It can be an awkward topic and no one wants to discuss their poop but as a nutritionist it can tell us a lot! Your poop is the body’s main elimination pathway and consists of water, undigested food residue, bodily waste products and toxins.
We should all be passing a bowel movement at least once a day, if not more. If you’ve ever seen a stool chart, your poop should be brown, smooth like a sausage and without mucus or undigested bits of food (except for maybe the odd corn kernel).
Changes to the colour, shape and texture of poop is a strong indicator of your digestive health, hydration, the potential build up of toxins in your body, signs of infection or disease as well as nutritional status. If you notice changes to your poop including blood or horrific odours contact a qualified health practitioner to dig a little deeper.
4. THEY KEEP TELLING ME TO DRINK H2O, BUT HOW MUCH WATER DO I ACTUALLY NEED?
Water, it might not be your drink of choice for a Saturday night but sure as hell is important! More than just hydration, water is necessary for digestion, absorption and metabolism. It keeps your bowels regular, maintains your body temperature and removes waste through sweat and urine.
So how much should you be drinking?
It is recommended to consume about 35mL/ kg of body weight. So if you are a 65kg female, you should be drinking around 2.2L per day. Beware, this doesn’t count for caffeine consumption or sweating in which you will need to drink even more!
Here's 5 ways to incorporate more water into your day!
1. Purchase a re-usable water bottle. One that you like and have it GLUED to you at all times
2. Leave a large glass beside your bed so that you can chug one upon waking
3. Jazz up your water by adding a little lemon juice, mint or berries (just try not to sip on lemon water all day because it is highly acidic for your teeth)
4. Consume more hydrating foods e.g. cucumbers, watermelon, zucchini and grapefruit
5. Sip on herbal teas instead of caffeinated ones. This might look like chamomile, peppermint and licorice that are hydrating instead of earl grey or English breakfast that have a diuretic effect (make you WEE).
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