Protein for Body, Mind and Muscle

Protein is essential for building, maintaining and restoring your muscle, especially if you're active.
There's a lot out there about what types, how much and the timing around it. So I'm going to make it simple and you can take it or leave it, but do read it.

Eat protein in the morning to recharge with nutrients. Protein also satiates the appetite so you are less likely to find yourself craving jelly beans at 10am. This can be as simple as milk (protein fortified is good), a handful of nuts, miso soup or soy-based cereal. Rolled oats (WHOLEGRAIN) or eggs (boiled or poached!) are also a fabulous source of protein.

Consuming protein before a work out kickstarts muscle synthesis (repairing and building muscle) throughout and even after hitting the weights.

Drink chocolate milk after a workout. Eat within half an hour of your workout. A milk-based smoothie is an excellent choice. Throw in some berries and you've got an antioxidant fix too!

Eat a fish, lean meat, soya/tofu based lunch. Go heavy on the protein in the middle of the day to ensure you have the energy to restore from your morning and have ongoing energy through the afternoon until evening. Don't ruin your meal by choosing high-fat, overly processed foods and please don't think a protein bar is a healthy choice. Yuck. Choose lean meat with a high protein content, like chicken, beef, lamb or kangaroo. Trimmed of fat, these are power foods.
Combined with fresh vegetables and a healthy choice of fat, you have a well-rounded and nutrient rich fuel for living. Healthy fats might include avocado, walnuts, coconut oil or inherently omega-3 rich foods like salmon and trout.

Snack on protein before dinner. A 250g tub of yoghurt, a smoothie, a handful of walnuts... your body will use the protein to repair and rebuild overnight.

Eat a protein-rich dinner. All the lunchtime protein options are great. You might also include a chickpea or kidney bean salad, quinoia or boiled egg.

Great picks: Salmon, Skinless Chicken Thigh, Wholegrain Rolled Oats, Kangaroo fillet, Quinoa, Eggs, Steak, Chickpeas, Homemade Protein Balls or slices.

Try this recipe from The Naked Kitchen: Chocolate Almond Protein Bars

Fat that Burns Fat?

Don't get too excited. I'm not going to reveal some magic greasy burger you can eat and turn into Kate Moss.

This is genuine science and it's a fascinating discovery that has potential implications for the management of disease and diabetes as well as weight management for healthy, fit people.

The body stores 3 types of fat: white, beige and brown.

White fat is the one you normally think of - the most common type of fat that is typically stored around the stomach, thighs and hips.

On the other hand, the more rare brown fat has heat-producing properties that burn major calories just by existing. Science - as discussed in a recent New Scientist magazine article - has proven that brown fat is activated through cold temperatures. Nothing too extreme - even wearing a tank top in 14 degrees will do it. Brown fat cells play an essential role in wild animals, allowing them to survive in cold and harsh environments by ensuring blood circulates and body heat is maintained.

Beige cells develop in the common white fat when brown cells are activated and THIS is where and when the fat-burning and metabolism boost happens. Beige fat cells = leanness in humans and the reduction of metabolic disease and obesity in mice. Current studies are looking into genetic and drug therapy that can produce and encourage growth and activation of beige fat cells.

While humans typically store only a very small quantity of brown cells, they are to be found in the deep back muscles around the spine and neck. Interestingly, overweight and obese people have been found to have a lower concentration of brown fat cells. In trials of drug therapy that looked at increasing the activity of brown cells, dangerous side effects were noticed at high doses so at present, there is no effective means of increasing their quantity or activity safely.

Beige cells on the other hand develop through being exposed to the cold, as I mentioned. Once they have been activated in the cold atmosphere, they are retained even when you warm up again. So it would seem that intermittent exposure to cold environments can maintain a metabolic boosting quantity of beige fat cells, which limit and reduce weight gain.

This is all still in the early stages of study. What HAS been proven is that there are systemic factors that influence brown and beige fat and look promising for weight loss therapy.
Irisin is a hormone found in muscle - built through exercise - which has obesity-prevention qualities and enhances energy production in cells. The takeaway message? EXERCISE. Both endurance and high-intensity bursts are recommended.

Calcium - either three or four daily servings of low-fat dairy or a supplement - can increase your body's fat burning ability. Calcium is stored in fat cells and regulates how it is stored and broken down by the body. The greater the level of calcium, the more fat it will burn according to studies.

Being TOO lean and having TOO LITTLE body fat will have the reverse effect. The body requires fat to retain calcium, vitamin D and other essential hormones and vitamins which are dependent on fat to remain and stay active.

A study from the Nutrition Institute of University of Tennessee showed mice given calcium supplements had good weight loss results, when supplements were combined with a restricted-calorie diet. Mice getting their calcium via supplements had a 42% decrease in body fat, whereas mice eating without supplements had an 8% body fat loss.

However, calcium from dairy products produced the best results. Mice on the "medium-dairy" diet had a 60% decrease in body fat, while those on the "high-dairy" diet lost 69% body fat.

The takeaway message? GET YOUR CALCIUM. I am not a major dairy fan and I know many people prefer alternatives. If this is the case, I recommend Nature's Way Calcium & K2 + Vitamin D.

Research shows that Vitamin K2 binds calcium to the bone mineral, ensuring that it is absorbed where it is NEEDED rather than depositing in the arteries. I recommend this supplement because it's the first to make K2 available and it's widely available (supermarkets, pharmacies and online at www.health365.com.au)

And eat well. There's no great mystery to it. If you are in need of some ideas, go recipe book hunting. My latest find is "the SuperFoods Kitchen" which has breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert options compiled from home cooks all over Australia. So inspiring! A crowd sourced cookbook!

Paleo Basics: interview with Scott Gooding

I do not advocate fad diets. I'm not vegan or gluten/dairy intolerant. BUT I know that many people have sensititivies, allergies and reactions to particular foods and that is where the appeal of the paleo diet lies. I've just got my hands on Clean Living Paleo Basics by Luke Hines and Scott Gooding, published by Hachette Australia ($17.99).

There is a growing and valuable recognition that whole foods (unprocessed, as close to natural state as possible) are the best choice for optimum energy and health. For example, eating an organic apple from your local market beats an apple & nut muffin from the supermarket.

I love Luke and Scott's recipes - including smoothies, snacks, salads, dinners and sweet treats. It's a great reference for healthy, basic meals that are great for one or for the whole family. Luke and Scott are both qualified personal trainers in the fitness business too so they know food has to fuel an active, fit lifestyle.

I was really lucky to have Scott and Luke talk to me about their book and their paleo lifestyle. If you loved them on My Kitchen Rules, or even if you didn't catch it (like me!), here they are. Please note, these are OPINIONS on diet and health, not facts. What works for your body is different to your neighbour and your friend. 

I love Luke Hines' approach to lifestyle. "My mantra that I live by is Train Smart, Eat Clean and Feel Good. We must have synergy between how we move our body, what we consume and the way we think about life. It is about achieving balance, through mindfulness," he says.

While Luke gave me some fabulous information and opinion, it was Scott Gooding's responses on food, healthy mindset and wellbeing that really appealed to me. As a trainer, a chef, an author and a businessman, he's truly an inspiration.

Has your diet always been health-based or was there an event or issue that lead you to this focus?
I have always tried to eat healthy to the best of my knowledge at the time, looking back I can now see flaws from a health perspective in many foods I used to eat but I guess that is all part of the journey.  There have been a few events that have shaped what types of food I consume, one is particular was an injury I sustained in my back - my focus then became sourcing a diet that wasn't pro-inflammatory - hence the Paleo diet.

Dairy is a great source of calcium. How do you ensure adequate calcium in the Paleo diet?
Dairy may have calcium but it also contains many proteins and hormones which are designed for a growing calf, these compounds cause gut irritation and inflammation.  Cruciferous veggies such as broccoli provide an abundant source of calcium as does fish, shellfish, offal and meat.

A highly active and fit body usually requires adequate carbohydrate. Does it take time for the body to adjust to new sources of energy? What are the side effects?
If you are training at high intensity I believe you should be consuming some extra carbs, but generally minimal carbs is the way forward.  There is a transition between fuels sources which can leave you feeling unable to perform maximally and can leave you feeling fatigued but the body is quick to adapt.  Push through the transition period and then the body will acclimatise.

Beyond diet, what other approaches to exercise lifestyle and wellbeing do you recommend and live by?
I believe we should move our body everyday, whether its a gym session, walk, salsa, pilates or swim.  The session should be hard enough to work up a sweat and evoke a feeling of satisfaction or accomplishment on completion.  I think its paramount that we "switch off" from the modern world of social media, email and texts - this is vital for positive (real) communication.  Its certainly an area that I personally need to work on but I'm making in-roads

I have survived a deadly eating disorder and I am concerned by restrictive or extreme approaches to diet as I feel vulnerable people can vastly restrict their food intake under the guise of a healthy regime. Do you accept that there is a need to educate on paleo but not to demonise whole food groups?
Absolutely, knowledge is power ...and once you have knowledge you'll have the power to make informed choices around your health and lifestyle.  Its important to not demonize certain food groups but knowing why we eat some and not others is the key.

What's a great paleo lunch for someone without A lot of time to prepare but wants energy throughout the afternoon and before a 5.30pm workout?
Healthy food or paleo food often gets branded with the notion it takes time to prepare but it can be as simple as a fritatta, poached eggs with sweet potato fritter, lamb chops with broccolini, leftovers from the night before.

Here's a recipe from the book - Zucchini Linguine with Poached Rainbow Trout - fabulous choice for lunch or dinner!

Follow Scott and Luke on Facebook, Twitter and their website

Clean Living Paleo Basics by Luke Hines and Scott Gooding, published by Hachette Australia ($17.99)