Monday

Steak 101

Steak


Organic, wagyu, aged, grass fed, grain fed, kobe, veal or marbled its all a little confusing. So we thought we would put you on the straight and narrow with Steak 101. Now this isn't about setting the record straight for those dining on a 7 course degustation menu but for the everyday person (who is hopefully health conscious) choosing a nourishing steak for dinner.

So which would you pick Grass-fed Black Angus or Grain-fed Wagyu?
Wagyu.... urghrrr  wrong.

No bake Watermelon Cake

No bake Watermelon Cake


I’m drolling just typing this out.

So quick and simple and can be made with any fresh season fruit that you like. 






Ingredients

1 watermelon whole (We choose seedless watermen to avoid the seeds)
1 punnet of strawberries
1 punnet of blackberries,
2 kiwi fruit sliced
2 cups of vanilla yogurt (alternatives whipped cream, yogurt, coyo, or whipped coconut cream)
1 packet 125g of slivered almonds lightly roasted (can also use mixed nuts or coconut)

Method

Cut watermelon as per following picture.
Frost outside using yogurt.

And decorate sides with almonds top with fruit.


There are so many delicious topping options from tropical, think pina-colada to pavlova...


(for thorough thorough details head too http://www.paleocupboard.com/watermelon-cake.html)

Tuesday

The Lust List




We can't technically classify this as health and fitness but we came to the group decision that if we had these rings, earrings and necklaces our mental health would skyrocket making us healthy.
 
These BEAUTIFUL delicate diamond, pearl and moon stone Luna Skye creations are definitely on our lust list.

Luna Skye is a LA based, fine jewellery line by Samantha Conn inspired by travel, nature and a passion for design. Having grown up in Santa Monica, the ocean and natural stone have organically been close to her heart and has been much of the inspiration behind her line.    

SEE OUR FAVOURITES >>>

Monday

Aqua Fashion



As you may or not know the team at NF have decided to enter in some sprint triathlons this summer and one of the primary concerns is what to wear. 

From Swim to Bike to Run we want to waste as limited time as possible in transitions whilst still being able to wear the most functional (and hopefully aesthetically flattering) ensemble as possible. 

SHOP OUR FAVORITES >>> 

Wednesday

Monday

Food for the Soul


Sometimes even us dietitian's don't have time to make lunch so it's great to know we can grab a healthy nutritious meal on the run. 

Pre-packaged products can often be misleading with their labels and be packed full of either calories or additives. Often clients fall into the trap of thinking they are doing the right thing when in fact the meal they've grabbed can be lacking a significant amount of nutrition. 

We were beyond delighted when we came across this brand: Essence Food for the Soul .

Thursday

The dirty H word



We’re talking about habits, whether it be good, bad or guilty we seem to always be trying to change them. It seems (well according to the internet and tv) nearly every change is achievable in 21 days whether it be going for that run at lunch, the ab king pro 21 days to abs, lemon detox diet, quitting sugar or smoking.

The 5:2 Diet

To 5:2 or not to 5:2 that is the question

The diet is fast becoming the nation's most popular weight-loss option praised in women’s magazines and news programs but how does it actually work and will it keep the Kg’s off?
First of all we need to establish what exactly the 5:2 diet is, other than being the newest in a long line of fab diets. It follows the principle of a caloric restriction diet where 5 days are ‘normal’ days albeit a little more healthy and 2 ‘fast’ days where you are restricted to only 500 calories (2090kj). In a whole it sounds quite simple and yes there is (limited) research supporting the premise of low calorie days and weight loss but the challenge comes in sticking to the diet plan.

Monday

Basil Pesto

Basil Pinenut Pesto 

We like to make meals go further. Why not try this homemade pesto recipe.. It goes well mixed in with pasta or zoodles (zucchini noodles) one night and can be spread on chicken breasts the next for a healthy, flavoursome dinner! 






Bastille oui oui

Why not celebrate Bastille Day with this easy crepe recipe... Fill with chicken and mushrooms for main and follow with a zesty orange sauce for dessert (our easy non-alcoholic nod to the traditional Crepe Suzette). 



Choc Treats

We've spent some serious time mastering the art of a delicious, healthy and just a little bit sinful snack!

Protein Bombs


After an afternoons snack that packs a punch, high in fibre, essential fats and protein then these are your guys...

with 8g protein and 4g fibre per serve these are great pre/post workout or just as a snack!




Health Accountant


Are you a number cruncher??






Whether it’s the number on the scales, number of calories you can eat, clothing size, your number out of 10 or macro’s, number crunching is probably the barrier between you and your goals. At both ends of the spectrum whether you’re primarily  focusing to keep under a number or getting down to a number its placing a negative emphasis on your self-worth.

Tuesday

Be fit not just look fit

If that's not yours you might want to re-assess. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Healthy living isn't just about the look. It's not to be told you're beautiful, look good in a bikini.
 It's to FEEL beautiful, FEEL good in a bikini, FEEL healthy. 
 
So often I see people aspiring too look like certain Instagram people, models, etc. and when I break down their healthy plan it's empty. It's often starvation focused, fad ingredients, low carb, or restrictive that centres on cardio for "ultimate fat burn". I see girls buying health plans off Instagram accounts. Sure that person may look good but are they healthy, do they know what good health is, do they have the knowledge to be selling you what good health is? I can't stress how important it is to get individualised advice. You are you a unique, one and only that needs a health plan for you not what works for someone with a good rig wanting fast cash because they're instafamous.
 
Don't get me wrong it's great to get meal suggestions or workout ideas off people who look like they're on track. But don't fall into the trap of following their program's. These people have not studied metabolic health, clinical nutrition, an array of diseases and conditions, lifestyle nutrition from pre-conception to pregnancy, lactation and geriatric health. Nor are they there to guide you through new weight training program's to minimise injury. They don't know what your medical history is, you job, lifestyle, budget and physical mobility/joint health. Simply they don't know you. Everyone loves the saying its 80% nutrition 20% training so firstly get that 80% from a nutrition expert not a gym expert and secondly get it right for you. 
 

  


Monday

Coco-nutz

Are we being coco -nuts for Coconuts?



Coconut is one of those foods that seems to ping-pong between the 'good food' and 'bad food' list, and if you're confused about this, don't worry – even the experts can't quite agree.
First of all we need to distinguish between the water, oil, milk and flesh. Although coming from a coconut the four are all very different.

 Coconut Water...
Naturally refreshing, coconut water has a sweet, nutty taste. It contains easily digested carbohydrate in the form of sugar and electrolytes. Not to be confused with high-fat coconut milk or oil, coconut water is a clear liquid in the fruit’s center that is tapped from young, green coconuts.
Low in calories, naturally fat- and cholesterol free, more potassium than four bananas, and super hydrating - these are just a few of the many benefits ascribed to Australia's latest health craze: coconut water.
Dubbed "Mother Nature’s sports drink" by marketers, the demand is skyrocketing, propelled by celebrity and athlete endorsements and promises to hydrate the body and help with a whole host of conditions, from hangovers to cancer and kidney stones.
But is coconut water capable of delivering on all the promises or is it hype?
Simply put yes!! it is absolutely a great drink however it should be used complementary to water for hydration not supplementary!!
Its gluten and allergy free and Nutritionally it has a great molecular composition of both our macro and micro nutrients:
Ounce per ounce (30ml), most unflavoured coconut water contains 23 kJ, 1.3 grams sugar, 61 milligrams (mg) of potassium, and 5.45 mg of sodium compared to Gatorade, which has 26.5 kJ, 1.75 grams of sugar, 3.75 mg of potassium, and 13.75 mg of sodium.
So as you can see it’s a great drink however be mindful not to overdo it as the calorie count can still add up quickly.
In the end a better choice than most pre-packaged beverages but still in superior to water.
.
If we work inside to out next is coconut milk or cream: 

Coconut milk/cream (were going to use the word milk form now on) is derived from the flesh of the coconut. It is not the liquid that can be drained out from a coconut that has been punctured, although many people assume this. Getting coconut milk from a coconut requires some processing, but the ingredient is also available in cans or bottles. 
Coconut milk is used in cuisines & tropical cocktails (did someone say piƱa colada) in a a number of countries, form India to Indonesia but does that mean its a healthy option?  

Coconut milk is immensely rich in vitamins and minerals. Coconut milk contains high levels of some of the crucial minerals like, iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium and zinc. It also contains a significant amount of vitamin C and E. One cup of coconut milk contains 13g carbohydrates, 5g fiber, 5g protein and 57g fats, mainly saturated fats. One cup of coconut milk can provide about 552 calories, which means that coconut milk is high in calories and hence, should be consumed in small amounts.

The fat content of coconut milk is also very high, which too highlights the importance of taking it only in small amounts. Apart from these, one cup of coconut milk also contains about 6.7 mg vitamin C, 0.4 mg vitamin E, 0.2 mcg vitamin K, 1.8 mg niacin, 38.4 mcg folate, 0.1 mg vitamin B6 and 0.1 mg thiamine. The same amount of coconut milk can give about 38.4 mg calcium, 3.8 mg iron, 88.8 mg magnesium, 631 mg potassium, 240 mg phosphorus, 1.6 mg zinc, 2.2 mg manganese, 0.6 mg copper and 14.9 mcg selenium.

Lastly and possibly the most controversial Coconut Oil.

Coconut oil is an edible oil, like olive or macadamia oil, extracted from the kernel or meat of mature coconuts. The confusion starts because of the differences between the use of coconut oil in cooking, and the use of coconut milk or coconut flesh. Both the American Heart Association and the National Heart Foundation recommend avoiding the use of coconut oil for cooking, but both their websites include recipes that contain coconut milk, albeit a reduced-fat version.
Despite the fuzzy perception that all things plant must be better for us, oil made from coconuts actually contains a whopping 90+ per cent saturated fat. Saturated fats, usually the dominant type in animal foods, are generally regarded as the baddies when it comes to heart disease.
Even reduced-fat coconut milk contains about 10 grams of saturated fat per 100 grams, compared to about 2.3 grams per 100 ml in reduced-fat cow's milk.
There are a number of websites claiming that the saturated fats in coconut oil are different to the saturated fats we're told to avoid in animal products. They also claim that coconut will help you lose weight, prevent wrinkles, treat serious illness, and, well, change your life.

All saturated fats are not equal
It's true that saturated fats differ from each other chemically – depending on the number of carbon atoms they carry – and different foods have varying concentrations of the different saturated fatty acids. The saturated fat in coconut oil consists mainly of the lauric acid and myristic acid, with lesser amounts of palmitic acid, whereas chocolate and beef are dominated by palmitic acid.
There's no doubt that all the fatty acids in coconut oil raise cholesterol, but the more important question is what kind of cholesterol do they raise – is it the bad LDL cholesterol, or the good HDL cholesterol?
The research isn't entirely clear on this point, but it seems the fatty acids found in coconut oil do raise LDL – bad cholesterol – as do other saturated fats, like butter.
But coconut may also raise HDL cholesterol – good cholesterol – to some extent, though not as much as unsaturated fats (the good fats).
So it's fair to say if you suddenly swap your olive oil for coconut oil, it's not going to do your cholesterol levels any favours and in particular, your levels of bad cholesterol will go up.

So how do you decide what is better for you?

If you have an extremely healthy diet with little sources of trans and saturated fats then using coconut oil in your cooking won’t cause harm; after all some amount of saturated fat in the diet is okay. However the problems arise when the general population begin to consume coconut oil in large amounts adding to the already over consumed saturated fat in their diet all because they heard someone talking about the new wonderkid ‘coconut oil’ over the aisle in Thomas dux.

So here are your pro’s and cons…

Pros: 
1. It is cholesterol free and very low in trans fats and although it is 92% saturated fat, the highest of any type of fat, the fact it is not animal fat may give it some health benefits over other forms of saturated fat - however research is yet to confirm this.
2. Coconut oil has an unusual blend of short and medium chain fatty acids not seen in other saturated fats which may offer some health benefit - however research is yet to confirm this.
3. It has many uses from cooking to using on your skin and in your hair to diesel fuel for tractors.

Cons: 
1. The fact it is so high in saturated fat needs to be considered in the context of a Western diet. 
- While much of Asia uses coconut in many forms, coconut is/was one of only a few sources of saturated fat.
- Traditionally they don't tuck into cheese, butter, chocolate, big steaks, bacon or fast food just to name a few common sources of saturated fat in the Western diet. 
- Day to day physical activity levels is/was also a lot higher (ever seen one of those guys scale a coconut palm?)
2. Coconut oil is just as high in calories as regular oil or butter (all fats are the same) and contains no vitamins or minerals.
3. It is expensive! At around twice the price of olive oil it hasn't yet been shown to offer health benefits greater than extra virgin olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil has proven heart health benefits, evidence for coconut oil is limited.