Prebiotics and Probiotics. What are they? What is the difference? And how can they improve our health? 

Prebiotics and probiotics are often associated with gut health. Prebiotics feed the bacteria in our gut, whereas, probiotics are the healthy bacteria that live inside our gut.

Currently, there is a lot of research being undertaken into the effects of prebiotics and probiotics. Just about every condition is linked with gut health, highlighting the importance of optimising our intake of nutritious food and healthy gut bacteria.  

Prebiotics

Prebiotics are responsible for feeding the good gut bacteria in our bowel (aka the probiotics). Consuming a wide range of prebiotics encourages the growth of probiotics.

What are common food sources of probiotics?

• Vegetables: Onion, garlic & potatoes (cooked and then cooled).
• Fruit: Banana, watermelon & grapefruit.
• Oats.
• Breastmilk.
  
  

Potatoes are an interesting prebiotic, as they contain something known as...

Achieving New Year’s resolutions can be damn right tricky!  

Luckily, we have three terrific tips for setting you onto the road for success! These evidence-based strategies will help you to smash out your 2021 goals, ultimately leading to a better version of yourself. Whether it be to lose weight, pay off your house, get a promotion, increase muscle mass… the sky is the limit! 

1. Physically document your New Year’s resolutions.  

You want to write it down and review it regularly. This is to monitor the state of change and progression. You may find it beneficial to set a reminder in your phone or on your outlook calendar.

2. Share your resolutions. 

The evidence suggests if you share a goal with a trusted person or make a goal public, you are more likely to achieve it. Sharing goals can give you a level of accountability.

3. Create a vision board. 

A vision board is a collation of pictures, affirmations and images of...

Many people report being “fussy eaters”. This appears to be quite common in early childhood, but it can extend into adulthood as well.

Fussy eating is described as a pattern of eating that is quite selective and restrictive in nature. People may avoid certain foods due to taste, texture, smell, sight and fear. It can be related to the cognitive development of a person and their willingness to try new foods and the psychological aspect of food associations. Today, we will identify what can contribute to fussy eating in children and adults, and how to overcome this.  

The role of genes:

There are specific genes or gene variants that can affect people’s taste preferences. For instance, having the GLUT-2 gene gives people a preference for sweeter foods. In some cases, this may explain why people prefer sweet over savoury foods. Additionally, some people describe themselves as “super-tasters” due to being sensitive to bitter like...

After an…interesting year, it’s time to put our health into the driver’s seat and kick-off 2021 with a bang! CQ Nutrition has developed a new mobile magazine – Food For Thought.

This is a monthly magazine, which draws together evidence-based information to help you achieve your New Year’s resolutions. It’s designed to be read on the go, with it being easily accessible through a smart device. You can also access all published issues through the link at the end of the article. 

So what’s generally covered in the Mobi-Mag?

• SCOOD $50K Health Challenge.
• Healthy recipes, e.g., Ketogenic baked chicken, sticky miso tofu and beef ragu.
• A topical diet, e.g., intermittent fasting.
• Information regarding the InBody Composition Analyser.
• A reader’s recipe reboot.
• Punching above your weight – a podcast focusing on people’s individual battles with weight loss.
• A free meal plan, e.g. Intermittent fasting.

If...

We all know that eating fruit is a normal part of a healthy diet. But there’s confusion regarding what form of fruit is best.

We’ve got fresh, frozen, dried and juiced, all with varying nutritional qualities and flavours. Today, we’ll talk about the pros and cons (if any) of each form and what we need to be mindful of.

Fresh fruit 

Fresh fruit is the standout performer. There are only pros to eating fresh fruit, with the major ones being:

Pros

• It adds weight to your stomach, due to the fruit being in its ‘whole’ form. This can keep you fuller for longer and reduce the risk of snacking on energy-dense foods.
• It’s relatively low in energy. A standard apple sits at about the 350-400kJ mark.
• It contains fibre, which slows down the digestion process and regulates blood sugar levels. Essentially, there is a steady release of energy into the body. 

Frozen fruit

There’s very little difference between fresh and frozen...

Short-term gain vs long-term pain

There is no doubt that eating something processed (e.g. a chocolate bar or a packet of chips) will raise our spirits intermittently! These foods are likely to activate a dopamine pathway in the brain, giving us a short-term fix to make us feel better.

But it is the long-term consequences of eating these foods regularly, which can significantly affect our mood. Generally, these discretionary foods are high in sugar and saturated fat, which can be detrimental to our long-term physical and mental health.

Studies have shown that nutrient-poor diets have strong links to mental health disorders, like anxiety and depression. Interestingly, depression is now considered a ‘whole body condition’, rather than just something in our heads. Evidence shows the relationship between gut health and one’s mood and mental state.

Gut Health

Why is gut health so important?

Essentially, it comes down to the bacteria in the gut (AKA the gut...

Fat. A very controversial nutrient, which dominates the media. In general, saturated and trans fats are associated with plaque build-up and chronic disease. Whereas mono- and polyunsaturated fats are the healthier alternatives.

This brief overview alone demonstrates that not all fats are created equally. But what exactly are the benefits of the ‘good’ fats? And what do we need to be mindful of

Today we will provide a distinction between good and bad fats and some recommendations to make mindful choices.

Good fats 

These fats are generally plant-based and come from foods like olive oil, nuts and fatty fish. Each subtype of fat (mono- and polyunsaturated) have a protective effect on heart and brain health. 

 Monounsaturated:

• Monounsaturated fat's primary role is to increase good cholesterol and decrease bad cholesterol in the body.
• The major food sources include avocados, nuts (almonds, peanuts & cashews), olive oils and cooking...

Cheese is a staple in my diet due to its versatility. It’s one of those ingredients that can elevate a meal from a four to a solid eight out of ten. Personally, I gravitate towards the softer cheeses for a sandwich and the harder cheeses for a wine night with the girls. Actually, I just gravitate towards any form of cheese… but you see, hear is where the problem lies. It’s easy to overdo it on cheese because it tastes so damn good. 

If you’re trying to lose weight or are concerned about heart health, cheese can be a bit of a “danger food”. Most cheeses are a high source of energy and salt in the diet. This can equate to weight gain if consumed in excess, or high blood pressure…eek! Today, we will run through some cheese differences and provide some strategies to make mindful cheesy choices! 

Cheese can be broken down into two distinct groups – soft cheese and hard cheese.

 Soft cheese

When people think...

Diabetes is an umbrella term to describe a condition associated with abnormal blood sugar levels.

There are three primary forms, which include type 1, type 2 and gestational.

• Type 1 diabetes is associated with the pancreas producing little-to-no insulin, causing people to rely on insulin for survival.
• Type 2 diabetes describes elevated blood sugar levels and insulin resistance, caused by damage to the pancreas. Damage to the pancreas is generally associated with a poor diet and lifestyle choices. However, genetic predisposition can also play a role.
• Gestational diabetes can occur during pregnancy. It is generally caused by the changes in hormones leading to insulin resistance, resulting in a blood sugar level spike.

 
Today we will focus on Type 2 Diabetes.

So, I’ve provided a brief overview regarding type 2 diabetes, but let’s dive a little deeper. Type 2 diabetes is a multifaceted condition, which is generally caused by a diet high in carbohydrates, a lack of...

In recent times, the alkaline diet has stolen the limelight and risen in popularity. Namely, for being associated with weight loss, reflux reduction and chronic disease prevention.

But what does following an alkaline diet entail? And is it all that it’s cracked up to be?

Today, we will dig out the magnifying glass and investigate the science behind this trendy health craze.

pH

Let’s take a trip back to year ten science class and explain what ‘alkaline’ means and its significance.

All substances fall onto a pH scale, between one and twelve. Substances with a pH between one-six are ‘acidic’, seven are ‘neutral’, and eight-fourteen are ‘alkaline’ (also commonly referred to as ‘basic’). This diet’s premise is to consume foods that fall within the alkaline category to reduce inflammation throughout the body.

Interestingly, our body has in-built systems to manage the internal pH environment. For...