Editors Note: This post is written by contributor Gina Ryan. Gina is a licensed nutritionist and Wellness coach from Hawaii. Read her full Bio on the About page or visit her blog Lunch Without Ed.

Water is the source of healing on the most basic level in our bodies. We tend to look at our water intake as something to do to keep from getting dehydrated and ill for over heating or even to avoid the discomfort of thirst. Somehow we have been trained to know we need so much protein, fat and carbohydrates a day yet tend to leave water to the thirst to detect. This is a grave mistake.

If you’re thirsty its too late!

We usually feel the sensation of thirst when we are already in early stages of dehydration as adults due to our thirst mechanism being inefficient. This can have us re-hydrating behind the ball all day if we are not cognizant of the need to be fueled with water just as diligently as we fuel with macronutients through out the day. Waiting for a thirst cue is much less reliable than the bodies hunger cues as the water storage is more easily depleted than the fat stores the body can pull from for caloric needs.
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Tagged As: Dehydration, diet, Water, Weight loss

Do you ever feel tired, dizzy, have shortness of breath, heart palpitations (awareness of your heart beat), headaches, or leg pains? These are all symptoms of Anemia which is one of the most common ailments affecting humans. It mainly affects women of child bearing age, intense exercisers, teenagers and young children, however all age groups are susceptible. Here are some important tips to ensure you are eating enough iron, and absorbing it properly.

Heme iron is a lot more absorb-able than non heme iron:

There are two types of iron. Heme iron is derived from animal sources such as red meat, where as non heme iron comes from plant sources such as chickpeas. Heme iron is more easily absorbed by the human body. You can affect the absorb-ability of iron by eating it with other vitamins, for example eating foods that contain vitamin C with iron, increases its absorb-ability. However eating calcium with iron decreases its absorb-ability.  Having some heme iron with your vegetables will increase the absorption of the non heme iron (For example you will absorb more iron from your spinach if you have some red meat with it).
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Tagged As: diet, energy, Iron, Meat, nutrition

Eating fish is good for you. But when Jeremy Piven (Ari from Entourage) suddenly left his broadway show due to high mercury levels from fish, questions have been raised about which fish are best to eat.

In my recent article on the best meats to eat, white fish came in second on the list, with salmon fairing quite poorly due to its high fat content. Salmon, however contains a lot more essential Omega-3 fatty acids, so how do we choose which fish to feast on?

What are the considerations when choosing a fish to eat?

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Tagged As: diet, Fish, mercury, nutrition, omega 3, Weight loss

When you are rushing through the supermarket trying to decide what meat to cook for dinner, do you really know what you are looking for? I’m sure you know what tastes great, or what you are comfortable cooking, but what about the health benefits? It is possible your habitual choices could be damaging your health and waistline. I have examined our most popular (and some less popular) meats, and you might find the results surprising!

And the winner is…

Kangaroo meat!!!  For the Aussie readers out there, we grew up watching ‘Skippy’, so now it can be hard to come to terms with eating him! Kangaroo meat has less calories and fat per serve than white fish yet as much iron as red meat and almost as much protein. Skippy really packs a punch in the nutrition stakes! Click here for a Bill Granger marinated kangaroo recipe. They say to treat it as you would beef, however I prefer stews, casseroles and marinades to plain steaks.

Second Place:

White fish. Also extremely low in fat and high in protein, white fish will provide you with some iron, minimal cholesterol and lots of healthy omega 3 fatty acids.

Third and fourth place:

Ostrich, closely followed by chicken breast. I’d like you to note on the chart the vast difference in nutritional value of chicken breasts without the skin versus a BBQ chicken. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that just because it’s chicken, that it’s good for you!

The Healthiest Meats (Best to Worst)

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Tagged As: beef, chicken, cholesterol, diet, lamb, Meat, nutrition, pork, Weight gain, Weight loss

Editors Note: This post is written by weight loss expert (and former couch potato) Meg McFarlane. Meg has experienced the weight loss journey first hand and has chronicled this in her blog, Spud On The Run.  She has a Bachelor of Science from Sydney University is currently working in IT.

You have decided that you need to lose weight, but with the hundreds of diets out there, how do you choose the one that is right for you?

If you are like me than you have probably tried hundreds of “fad diets” which were successful until you started eating normally again and then the kilos piled back on and brought a few of their friends with them.  If you want to lose weight and keep it off, you need to choose a diet that you can stick to long-term.  Think of it more like healthy eating rather than a “diet”.  Therefore, you need to stay away from diets that have you eating only soup or fruit for a period of time and diets that involve meal replacements.  Yes, you will lose weight on these diets but as soon as you go back to eating normally, that weight will return.
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Tagged As: diet, diets, nutrition, Weight loss

When was the last time you ate broccoli? When was the last time you got excited about eating broccoli? Well now’s the time to gorge on your greens! If the following facts about broccoli don’t get you excited to chow down, then hopefully Gordon Ramsey and the two recipes I’ve included will!

What makes Broccoli a super food?

To quote CNN.com, when it comes to nutritional content, “Broccoli is the mother lode!” After researching the following stats, broccoli has become much easier to swallow!

• Ounce per ounce broccoli has more vitamin C in it than oranges
• Broccoli contains more calcium than a glass of milk
• One medium spear has more fibre than a slice of wheat bran bread
• Out of all produce, broccoli is the highest source of vitamin A
• What catapults broccoli into the stratosphere of a super food is its cancer fighting properties, namely isothiocyanates .

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Tagged As: broccoli, cancer, diet, nutrition, recipes, vitamins

Do you know the difference between the above fats? Which one is deemed the best one for you? The worst? Learn the difference between these fats, which ones are good, average and really bad for you. Find out the best food sources of these fats and how they affect your insides. I talk a bit about cholesterol in this video blog so be sure to read my post on Cholesterol and it’s effect on our health. There is also a great animation on cholesterol in our blood stream. What is the most popular type of fat in your fridge and pantry?

This is the last of my Fat Facts Video blog series. To see the other, click the links below. I’d also love to know your take on fat, the good, the bad, and the plain irresistible. Like it or hate it, many of our lives revolve around it.

Fat Facts Part 1: What is Body Fat?

Fat Facts Part 2: How Many Calories in Fat Protein and Carbohydrates?

Fat Facts Part 3: Calorie Dense Foods

Fat Facts Part 4: Burning Fat Vs Burning Sugar and Carbohydrates

Fat Facts Part 5: The Difference Between Monounsaturated, Polyunsaturated, Saturated and Trans Fats

Tagged As: diet, exercise, Fat Facts, monounsaturated, nutrition, polyunsaturated, saturated, trans fats, Weight loss

This three minute video blog tests your knowledge on four calorie dense foods, butter, oil, chocolate and cheese. It compares how these foods affect the total calories in meals we prepare. Do you know how much fat is in them?

Fat Facts Part 1: What is Body Fat?

Fat Facts Part 2: How Many Calories in Fat Protein and Carbohydrates?

Fat Facts Part 4: Burning Fat Vs Burning Sugar

Fat Facts Part 5: The Difference Between Monounsaturated, Polyunsaturated, Saturated and Trans Fats

Tagged As: calories, diet, Fat Facts, food, Weight loss

This video post looks at how many calories are in fat, protein, and carbohydrates. It then discusses what impact this has on your diet. Some fat is essential for optimal health but when trying to lose weight, it is important to understand how much energy (calories) we are consuming. Do you know how many calories are in 1 gram of fat, protein and carbohydrates?

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Tagged As: calories, carbohydrates, diet, Fat, Fat Facts, protein, Weight loss