Nutrition

When did you last take time out for yourself? Whether it be relaxing at home, sleeping as long as you wanted to, enjoying some family time or simply switching off from all electronic equipment, the chances are you can't even remember, especially on a weekend. In fact, Susie says, "The demands of modern life mean that we now exist in a state of constant frenzy and are more likely to feel stressed, overwhelmed and far from flourishing come Monday morning." After seeing her clients experience feelings of exhaustion for many years, Susie recommends a "Sacred Sunday’ - a day, even just once a month in which we allocate ourselves nothing to do – a mini break to re-centre and find ourselves. In this article, Susie suggests some fun activities and explains the importance of enjoying the smaller things in life.

This vegetarian zucchini omelette by health guru Susie, is super healthy, packs a ton of flavor and is ready in no time. This delicious dish combines eggs, finely grated zucchini, crumbled feta cheese, fresh mushrooms, tomatoes and capsicums. Yum! 

How much cheese is too much cheese? According to HIF health expert Susie Burrell, "Unfortunately, there is no escaping the fact that even though it tastes so good, nor whether it is feta, cheddar, Parmesan, ricotta or Brie - it is cheese, it is high in fat. However, nutritionally cheese has a number of positive qualities. While it does mean that you may need to limit your Bries and full strength cheddar's to special occasions, it does also mean that you can enjoy the lower fat ricotta and cottage cheeses more regularly and you do not need to ever revert to the bland low-fat varieties of cheese, which really do not taste much like real cheese at all." In this post, Susie answers a reader’s question by explaining how we can still enjoy cheese without having to worry about our waistlines. 

“Fasting diets”- we've all heard of them. In fact we've probably all tried one, but the question is do they work and more importantly are they safe? According to Susie, "Interest in the benefits of fasting continues to grow as evidence builds to show the significant health and weight benefits associated with actively restricting our kilojoule intake on a regular basis. While this may sound great in theory, the truth is that eating far, far less than we usually do is easier said than done." In this article, Susie discusses the importance of considering our energy demands before adopting this method and explains why a more sustainable approach may be all we need to give our bodies a metabolic kick start.

How does “bacon baked eggs” sound for breakfast? Yum – right! This delicious recipe provided by HIF health guru Susie Burrell combines crispy bacon, baked eggs, fresh leek and spinach with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Even better it’s gluten-free, high-protein and full of energy to help fuel you for the day. Sounds like the perfect option for an indulgent weekend breakfast to us.

Carbohydrates – good, bad or evil? According to HIF health expert Susie Burrell, “They’ve certainly  received a lot of criticism over the past few years. Blamed for a variety of health issues ranging from obesity to neurological disorders, it’s important for us to remember that we’re talking about a humble grain or vegetable as opposed to a deadly virus that is ‘out to get us’...The issue is not carbs themselves but what humans do to them – it is the heavy processing that tends to strip our carbs of essential nutrients, and it is the processing that sees them digested far more rapidly than we would if we consumed them in their natural state”. So before you ditch all carbs from your diet, check out Susie’s latest article on our Healthy Lifestyle Blog. In it she discusses the best carbs for us nutritionally, and highlights the few that are better consumed occasionally.

Did you know quinoa (Keen-wah) is the world’s most popular superfood? In fact, Authority Nutrition recently noted that, “2013 was named the “International Year of Quinoa” by the United Nations (UN) based on its high nutrient value and potential to contribute to food security worldwide.” With this in mind we thought we’d share this super healthy “Quinoa and Prawn Salad” from HIF health guru Susie Burrell’s Shape Me Plan. It’s a great alternative to heavier pastas or rice salads, and only contains 320 calories per serve! 

Do you struggle to maintain your willpower? According to Susie, “Willpower is a term we often hear about in motivational literature. It is the ability to hold back when you need to; to not eat the entire block of chocolate; to go to the gym even when you are tired; to not stop at the fast food drive through even though you really, really want to. While some individuals appear to naturally have endless buckets of it, recent research now suggests that the way we think about our ability to exert will power is just as relevant when it comes to exercising self-control.” So if you struggle with maintaining your own willpower, check out Susie's latest article on our Healthy Lifestyle Blog. In it she discusses some simple strategies which may help to build your willpower muscle, rather than letting it control you.

Are you tired of obsessing about the foods we should or should not eat, and the “diets” we should or should not follow? According to HIF health guru Susie Burrell, "It all gets a little boring. The good news however is that there are proven strategies to weight loss, that means we don't have to compulsively calorie count, read nutrition labels or spend hours at the gym." In her latest article Susie discusses each of these approaches in detail and explains just how easy and simple they are to follow. 

Last week, we announced that our resident health and nutrition blogger, Susie Burrell recently gave birth to two beautiful boys, Gus and Harry. Thankfully, Susie is now easing herself into the brand new world of Motherhood; but that hasn’t stopped this “Super Mum” from taking some time out to offer her advice on how to stay active and healthy during pregnancy. In this article, Susie talks us through her pregnancy experience (including those naughty cravings), explains how she adjusted her exercise routines and kindly offers her top nutritional tip to all expectant Mum’s out there. 

Keep hunger at bay with this fun, tasty and most importantly healthy banana bread. This delicious recipe by HIF health guru Susie is super easy to make and is the perfect snack for the kids' lunchbox as they return to school. We hope you enjoy! 

Do you eat late into the night? According to HIF nutrition expert Susie Burrell, "Of all the dietary issues that present in practice, I find it of interest that ‘night eating’, one of the most significant diet derailers, is also one of the least talked about.  I’m not talking about getting out of bed at 2am and searching the cupboard for sweet foods, I'm talking about the nightly habit of sitting down after a meal and completely overindulging in high calorie snacks to end the day. Not only does this nasty habit make it almost impossible to lose weight, but what begins as a small treat to finish off the day’s eating often ends up as an entire packet of biscuits, or block of chocolate on too regular an occasion." In this article, Susie offers her advice on how to identify a night eating problem and explains how we can take control of it.