Nutrition

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.

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.

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!