Nutrition

Celebrity chefs and weight loss experts have been encouraging us to eat less sugar for some years. Sugar is partly to blame for more than 60% of Australian adults who are considered to be overweight or obese. PhD researcher Masoor Shariff compared sugar consumption to drug abuse and found some similarities in changes to the layout of our brain cells. With the evidence mounting against sugar, what can you do to wean your child off their high sugar diet?

We all know that we have to eat more vegetables and that five serves each day are what we need for good health, but according to nutrition guru Susie Burrell, "Far fewer of us know that when it comes to optimal health and well-being we need a lot more than the minimum of 5 serves of vegies a day that is recommended by public health agencies. In fact, when we look at the data from countries who have the healthiest diets, they are on average consuming 7-10 serves of fresh fruit and veggies every single day." Well, consuming more vegetables is easier than you think, follow Susie's five simple steps to hit your veggie target every day. 

How much water do you drink per day? According to our Susie, "The average adult requires a minimum 1.5L of extra water each day, and even more if they are regularly active or training. Surprisngly though, it is estimated that at least 75% of Australians are dehydrated at any one time." With summer just around the corner, we asked Susie for her advice on the best fluids for optimal hydration. 

We often hear about the importance of breakfast, but let's not forget about how important lunch is too. According to HIF health expert, Susie Burrell "On any weight loss plan, it is a general perception that the less we eat the better. This can somewhat explain the reason why dieters choose a light breakfast and try and hold off from eating lunch for as long as possible. This is the worst thing you can do if you are trying to lose weight. The earlier you have your lunch, even in place of a late morning snack, the better it will be for your metabolic rate. If you are hungry at 11 or 11.30am, eat your lunch then rather than holding off and then binging on sweet foods at 3 or 4pm because your blood glucose has dropped significantly which can leave you ravenous and prone to overeating. In this article, Susie discusses why lunch holds the key to nutritional balance and offers her advice on the best foods to eat at lunchtime. 

Hands up who’d like a guilt-free recipe for Halloween? If you’ve answered yes, then you’ll love these “Scary Spiders” from our resident health guru Susie Burrell. Combining roasted almonds, sweet macadamias, peanut butter nut spread, fresh dates, raw cacao and a coat of coconut – these scrumptious treats not only taste delicious but are super healthy too. Happy Halloween everyone! 

Diet trends – they’re everywhere, but are they food fads or sensible eating? According to HIF health expert Susie Burrell, "As we learn more and more about nutrition, and with the number of ‘experts’ out there publishing diet books increasing, it inevitably leads to the propagation of new diet beliefs and trends (whether or not there is evidence to support them)." In this article, Susie discusses the latest food trends including, “Swapping back to full cream milk”, “Sushi is a healthy choice” and “We should all be eating Paleo” and offers her advice on the nutritional science behind these trends. 

We all know that winter months usually mean thick socks, heater hugging and cosy nights in front of the TV. Regrettably though, Susie Burrell says, “These actions usually result in many of us going off track when it comes to our diet and lifestyle resolutions. Too much chocolate, training sessions skipped in favour of more doona time and plenty of comfort food often means one thing – weight gain. With this in mind (and considering Spring is only a few  weeks away) we thought we’d share this latest post from our Healthy Lifestyle Blog. In this article, Susie offers her advice on the food swaps we can make to ensure we can enjoy our favourite comfort foods, without the extra kilos to match. 

Do you struggle to say no to sweet treats at family occasions and other celebratory meals? Don’t worry, we do too. Which is why we asked our resident health guru, Susie Burrell for her advice on how to stay healthy during those “special dinners”. Here's what she told us...

Are you constantly juggling work, kids, long commutes and family pressures? Don't worry, you're not alone. According to Susie, "The constant time pressures and stressors in our lives mean that we're not an overly healthy bunch. Up to 60% of us are battling weight issues; more than 1 million of us have diabetes, and as we get older, most of us are getting heavier and less healthy." In this post, Susie talks about her 30 day Shape Me Plan and its aim to promote and maintain an easy and enjoyable weight loss program.

Do you want to change your eating habits? According to Susie, "It may come as a surprise but simply opting for consistency with your diet, and making some powerful but subtle dietary changes to your daily food regime can have a much more powerful impact on your health and weight than you could imagine." So before you begin a complete diet overhaul, check out Susie's top tips on some simple lifestyle adjustments that will yield significant long-term results. 

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!