Body image is defined as the perception that a person has of their physical self, the thoughts and feelings the person experiences as a result of that perception.  These may be positive, negative or a combination of both and are influenced by individual and environmental factors.

The jacaranda’s are in bloom and that means its exam time!  While the trees may display their beautiful blossom, for students it means time to stay indoors and hit the books!  This can also be a time when healthy eating habits take a backseat and exercise becomes an infrequent event.

Did you know that the brain exclusively uses carbohydrate to think?  If you don’t feed your body a constant supply of energy good, the brains ability to concentrate, retain information and general comprehension declines.  Not the ideal circumstance for acing exams and finishing that assignment.

Good energy foods to give you long lasting energy include:

• Fresh, canned or dried fruit
• Grainy crackers such as Ryvita, Vitawheat, Soy & Linseed topped with tomato/vegemite/cream cheese/cheese/peanut butter/tuna
• Oat or nut based cereal or muesli bar
• Tub of plain or flavoured yoghurt
• Glass of plain or flavoured milk
• Air popped popcorn
• A slice of grainy or nut & nut bread

Keep a healthy eating routine by aiming to eat at least every 6 hours if not every 3-4 hours.  You are usually more productive to work in 1 hour segments of time and then have a 10 minute break.  Just make sure you don’t eat at every break!  This 10 minute break is a great time to do some exercises to get your blood pumping to your brain such as star jumps, running on the spot, running up stairs, push-ups or a few yoga poses.  Remember to grab a drink of water too!

Try to include at least 30 minutes of exercise per day, whether that be 3 x 10 minute exercise blocks or taking 30-60 mins off the books to clear your mind with a walk, run or gym session.

Eat Smart wishes you the best of luck with your exams!

As our swimmers finalise their preparations for the 2012 Olympics, I cannot wait to sit back and watch come the end of this month! As a former swimmer I must admit, it is certainly easier to be providing the dietary advice and watching from the sidelines than it is to be doing all the hard work in the pool!

At this phase of preparation, Olympic swimmers are making the final changes to their diets as their training decreases during their tapering phase. Swimmers will be ensuring they are getting the right mix of nutrients to recover adequately so they can back up and perform as best as possible for every session. The right mix of nutrients also includes those that protect the immune system, as any illness is likely to negatively impact performance – and with the Olympics only coming round every 4 years this may be an athlete’s only chance at Olympic success.

Three swimmers from the Eat Smart Chandler clinic that I will be following closely will be comeback queen Libby Trickett (watch her in the 4x100m freestyle relay), Brisbane golden girl Kylie Palmer (800m freestyle, 400m freestyle, 200m freestyle and 4x200m freestyle relay) and veteran Jessicah Schipper (200m butterfly, 100m butterfly, 4x100m medley relay). We wish you all the very best!

For those who will be watching at home, and dreaming of Rio 2016, sports nutrition advice from an expert can help get you there. Why not contact one of our Accredited Sports Dietitans today and arrange an individual consultation!

Jess

Healthy eating for active kids

The school year has started once again, and many children will be involved in various school activities, school sports and club sports. With so much to do, so little time, and lots of driving about the greater Brisbane area (and sometimes beyond!) a lot of planning is needed, particularly when it comes to food. Here are a few tips to ensure that your active child is eating well and has enough energy to last their busy week!

• Make sure your child has a good breakfast every morning. If they have early sport or training and cannot stomach a meal beforehand, try a liquid breakfast or pack breakfast to be eaten afterwards. Check with your school if the canteen is open for breakfast and what food is served – this may be a quick and easy option, providing choices are nutritious (for example, cereal and low fat milk, toast with spreads, jaffles with various fillings).
• Some children have long days, and usually won’t be home until just before dinner. This means they need a lunch box packed with nutritious food that is still appealing at 4pm! Remember to try and include something from each food group: breads/cereals, vegetables/salad, fruit, dairy or alternative, and meat or alternative. Sending along a cold or frozen water bottle will help keep the lunch box cool.
• Let your child help make their own lunch (with supervision). They will be more inclined to eat it if they know what has been packed and can plan what they want to eat and when.
• Not all children like sandwiches! Lunchtime is usually easily taken care of with a trusty sandwich, but there are many children that refuse to eat them. Alternatives can include: wraps, rice/corn crackers with spreads or tuna, fresh salads, rice or pasta salads, or leftovers from the night before.
• Children need to go to bed at an appropriate time to get a good night’s sleep to refuel for the next day. Some children cannot sleep well on a full stomach, so ensure dinner is early enough so your child has some down time to digest and relax before bed.

If you are worried that your child does not eat enough, never seems hungry, or is a fussy eater, and you feel that they may not be getting all the important nutrients that they need, please contact one of our dietitans for further information.

With the school swimming season underway, Australian Open Championships just around the corner and Australian Age Championships only three months away, Eat Smart Sports Dietitian and former Australian Swimmer Jessica Abbott give her tips for eating for swimming success.

Swimming is a seriously demanding sport (and not just for the athletes, the parents have it tough too!), with its intense training schedules, early starts and long days at meets, getting the nutrition basics right is essential for peak performance. Carbohydrate and protein are two of the key nutrients for swimmers of all levels. But why?

Well, carbohydrates are the most important fuel source for training and recovery. Without enough of them it leads to early fatigue (poor performance) during training and racing as well as poor concentration and poor recovery. I suggest fuelling up by including healthy carbohydrates regularly throughout the day. Good options include wholegrain breads, high fibre breakfast cereals, low fat milk and yoghurt, starchy vegetables like pumpkin and potato, and whole fresh fruits.

Protein is another essential in the diet – it is needed for growth, repair, recovery and immunity. A common myth is that swimmers need expensive protein supplements in order to gain muscle and strength. In fact, getting enough protein can be achieved by a well-planned diet alone. Excellent sources of protein are lean meats, skinless poultry, fish, eggs, low fat dairy, nuts and legumes.

For more expert dietary advice for swimmers, keep an eye out for new blogs or for individualised advice book an appointment with Jess at Chandler.

As I ended my 3 weeks of sporting insomnia while following closely, and then finally witnessing, Cadel Evans historic victory, I reflected on the enormity of the nutrition needs of the Tour de France participants over the 86 hours or so they spent on the road. I have seen it quoted that the average daily energy expenditure in this race is between 16,000 and 32,000 Kilojoules/day – that’s nearly 8,000 Kcals each day for those of the old school! Combine this with the fact that there are limited hours and opportunities in each race day in which to consume this, and you can see how important the role of nutrition, and of those who plan and prepare the food for the riders must be. This is the reason for their use of special sports drink formulas, sports gels, sports bars and various other items must be readily available to them in those feed station areas en route each day. Their fluid, energy, electrolyte, protein and other nutrient needs, along with their individual likes and dislikes, the weather and the terrain of the stage would all be taken into account in planning each rider’s daily intake. At Eat Smart Nutrition we are often called upon to help cyclists, both elite and social, with their nutrition needs, and find it a very interesting and often challenging area of sports nutrition. So congratulations Cadel on an incredible performance, and to the team behind you for helping you along the way.

Melbourne is well known as the culinary capital of Australia. With so many amazing restaurants, cafes, bars and food outlets how does one taste it all without gaining kilos in the process? I asked a Melbournite the secret….

“Eat Slow” was the reply. I think those Southerners are on to something. We all want to be able to eat our favourite foods – whether its chocolate, cheese, alcohol or fried food but how do we Eat Smart to keep the kilos off, while still enjoying the flavours, aromas, sights and sounds of our favourites? Eat it slower and savour the taste.

In fact, Dr Google will tell you that Eating Slow is not a Victorian phenomenon but a worldwide one. Eating Slower will allow for better digestion as food is more completely masticated but it also gives more time for the brain to register when the stomach is full. Thus one should be able to eat less while maintaining satisfaction.

So, on my recent weekend in Melbourne, I embarked on an Eat Slow Challenge. And challenge it was! For someone who is used to eating fast, eating slow certainly takes conscious effort. After a delayed flight, with lunch a very distant 7 hours prior, the sight of food on the dinner table was enough to send me diving in. However, I was able to restrain my fork lifting hand to a slower pace and savour the first course. Fortunately we had chosen a Soufra, or 4 small, slowly served Middle Eastern courses served over a few hours which aided my slow eating challenge. By the end of the 2nd course I noticed a sense of contentment, surprising, considering I’d only eaten a few mouthfuls. As the 3rd and 4th courses came, I had small mouthfuls of each component but did not finish any and by the end of the meal I was satisfied but not feeling over-full. First round – success!

Over the weekend I practised Eating Slow with varied success. Where I was relaxed and not starving to start the meal it was easy to moderate my pace resulting in smaller amounts eaten When I was hungry or in a rush, I returned to my old habits of eating quick until the plate was finished.

For those who grew up in a family of Eating Slow, the concept of small mouthfuls over time would be the norm, but for those who relish a quick meal, eating slow would certainly take some practice. However, when health, weight and Eating Smart are in your focus, try eating slow to savour the flavour of your favourite foods. Will you take up the challenge?
Lauren

My nutrition advice and training must be working!

After a great season advising the Brisbane Roar who won the A-League in style, now the Qld Firebirds are in pursuit of their first ANZ Australian Netball championship!
The Qld Firebirds are currently undefeated through to the semi finals and will now play the Grand Final in Brisbane on Sunday 22nd May. The players this year are in fantastic shape and playing in a strong style that is challenging to all other teams. Despite a late season injury to captain Lauren Nourse I feel confident they will take out the championship!
Kerry Leech

Romelda Aiken is the Goal Shooter for the Qld Firebirds. Photo Source: ANZ Championship website

"What’s for dinner?  Not meat & 3 veg again!" 
Here’s a few fancy meat & 3 veg recipes to stop the whingeing

Veal Schnitzel with Zucchini, Tomato and Capsicum (Serves 4)  

1. Preheat oven to 220°C.  Line a large baking tray with baking paper.  Spread potato onto tray and spray with oil.  Bake on top shelf of oven for 30 minutes or until crisp and golden..
2. Meanwhile process bread and parsley in food processor until fine breadcrumbs form.  Transfer to a shallow dish, add parmesan and stir well to combine.  Pour buttermilk into another shallow dish and place flour on a plate.  Lightly coat schnitzels in flour; dip into buttermilk and then coat with the breadcrumb mixture, pressing firmly. 
3. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat.  Spray schnitzels with olive oil and cook, two at a time, for 3 minutes each side or until golden.  Transfer to a large plate and keep warm in oven.  Wipe pan clean and return to heat.
4. Add zucchini to pan and cook for about 3 minutes each side or until browned.
5. Add cherry tomatoes & capsicum, stir to combine and bring to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes or until sauce thickens.
6. Serve schnitzels with zucchini mixture and salad, if desired.