Sports Nutrition for Teenagers

Sports Nutrition for Teenagers

Do you have sporty teenagers?  With the winter sports season kicking off, you might be wondering if your teenagers are eating the right types of food to support healthy growth and development as well as their training and competition. It's not all about protein powder to get "shredded", or litres of sweet sports drinks!

Read More

Why you should swap your lunchtime tinned tuna for tinned salmon

Why you should swap your lunchtime tinned tuna for tinned salmon

A tin of tuna is a popular lunch choice as it is a good source of protein, cheap and shelf stable.  A lot of people eat tuna for lunch assuming they are getting a serve of omega 3s – essential fatty acids. However tinned tuna is very low in omega3s - tinned salmon or sardines provide much more.

Read More

Grilled vegetable and fig platter

Grilled vegetable and fig platter

Perfect for entertaining, or for a family dinner with the hopes of leftovers, here's how we've been enjoying our grilled veggies.  Our secret is to include a punnet of figs (so cheap at the moment - and they used to be such a luxury!) and to marinade before grilling.  This is a delicious side to barbecued steaks, sausages or halloumi.

Read More

Roasted pumpkin salad with crispy chickpeas, pomegranate and mint

Roasted pumpkin salad with crispy chickpeas, pomegranate and mint

In worrying news for hummus fans the world over - we are facing a GLOBAL SHORTAGE OF CHICKPEAS! After the avocado crisis I'm not sure how I'll cope! In the meantime, while tinned chickpeas are still cheap I'll stock up. Here's how we had them last night - roasted til crispy tossed with coriander, cumin and oregano, roasted along side some pumpkin. Served with rocket, mint, toasted pepitas, pomegranate seeds and some halloumi too. 

Read More

12 Days of Christmas

12 Days of Christmas

I hate to use the term superfoods (eye roll) but I was thinking about all the lovely food we are blessed to be surrounded by this time of year and that I associate with Christmas.  I thought I'd share some of their health benefits as well as recipes that my family enjoy this time of year.  I'd love to hear about your Christmas super foods too!  My favourite part of Christmas is sharing a meal with the people that I love.  Food should be seen as part of the celebration - not something to feel guilty about.  Include plenty of fresh fruit and veggies and some lean protein and use the time off work to schedule in a walk or run.  Consider Mindful Eating  over the Christmas break by making more conscious food choices, paying attention to how you eat, and practicing self-acceptance.   

Read More

Your vegetarian teenager

Your vegetarian teenager

Has your teenager recently announced they are a vegetarian?  Mine has!  The rest of the family eat meat and I'm too busy to be cooking 2 meals every night so here's some ideas for how I cope.  I've also seen quite a few vegetarian clients recently with iron deficiency so I'll outline some common nutrient concerns with a vegetarian teenager and how to avoid them.

Read More

Sports Nutrition for Competitive Adolescent Athletes

Sports Nutrition for Competitive Adolescent Athletes

I was lucky enough recently to be able to work with an athlete preparing for the Australian Schoolboys Rugby Union Tournament.  He was interested in maintaining his work rate, making his tackles and not fatiguing in the second half of the game.  Here's some of the key points we came up with.  Of course, every athlete is different with different food preferences, requirements and backgrounds. What is right for one athlete may not benefit the next - so make sure that your sports nutrition advice is tailored to your goals.  

Read More

Watermelon & Pomegranate Salad with Whipped Feta

Watermelon & Pomegranate Salad with Whipped Feta

If you are asked to bring a salad to a BBQ or Christmas party - this one is a winner!  Look at those colours!  And yum, any salad with pomegranate and feta is a winner in my books.  Then add in that beautiful refreshing watermelon and the crunch of almonds, so good.  

Read More

Gut Health

Gut Health

The more we learn about the role of gut, the more it seems that the gut  can be thought of as the centre of overall good health. Our gastrointestinal tract runs right through the core of the body and has does a lot more than just digest our food. Our gut is home to lots of bacteria – known as gut flora. A healthy digestive system has a balance of good and bad bacteria. When your gut is not working as it should your energy levels are affected, your mood is affected and your ability to concentrate is affected.  You can help maintain your digestive system by ensuring you consume prebiotics, probiotics and sufficient dietary fibre.

Read More

Fasted training for endurance athletes

Fasted training for endurance athletes

Should you skip breakfast before you exercise?

Read More

Tray Baked Salmon with Green Beans and Salsa Verde

Tray Baked Salmon with Green Beans and Salsa Verde

With the arrival of spring in Sydney I've had a craving for this Jamie Oliver inspired recipe.   Salmon is a fantastic source of omega-3 fatty acids which are inti-inflammatory and extremely beneficial to your health - they can help lower cholesterol, reduce high blood pressure,  and may reduce symptoms of arthritis and depression.  I've accompanied the salmon with salsa verde and some lovely roasted veggies.

Read More

Low FODMAP sports supplements

Low FODMAP sports supplements

Are you following a low FODMAP diet to manage your IBS symptoms?  FODMAPs are a large group of dietary sugars.  These sugars can be poorly absorbed in the small intestine and fermented by bacteria to produce gas. Following a low FODMAP diet can help manage IBS symptoms. 

Endurance runners often suffer from stomach problems.  If you also suffer from a FODMAP intolerance, fueling for your long run can be quite tricky.    Here’s some tips to help you focus on your running, rather than your stomach, or wondering where the closest toilet is. 

Read More

Banana, date and almond protein porridge

Banana, date and almond protein porridge

It's sooooo cold in the morning in Sydney at the moment and I love a warm bowl of porridge, but I'm often hungry a couple of hours after I've eaten it.  I've come up with a fabulous trick to increase the protein of your porridge to keep you full all morning.

Read More

nuun electrolyte tablets

nuun electrolyte tablets

A long overdue post about my most used sports nutrition product - nuun electrolyte tablets.   Nuun tablets are added to water and replenish the electrolytes that are lost in sweat during exercise with only 1g of sugar (dextrose) per serve (compared to 36g of sugar in a sports drink).  Nuun contains the four main electrolytes that are vital in hydration and exercise performance and this year they will be the official hydration partner of the City2Surf

Read More

Supercharged Shepherd's Pie

Supercharged Shepherd's Pie

I love taking classic comfort foods and making them a whole lot more nutritious.  I've added lentils and plenty of veggies to my shepherds pie base and my mash is half cauliflower and half potato.  With the veggies, lean lamb and lentils this is a immune boosting recipe for winter that my kids love!

Read More

Toasted maple, nut and seed granola

Toasted maple, nut and seed granola

I developed this delicious granola recipe for my son and he loves it.  He mixes it with yoghurt as a great second breakfast after early morning rugby training or after a game.  The combination of protein and carbs makes it ideal for refuelling my hungry boy! 

Read More

Nicoise salad

Nicoise salad

Create this delicious classic french salad with loads of veggies and heart healthy tuna and eggs for a hot summer night to transport you to the south of France.

Read More

Bun Cha Bowls

Bun Cha Bowls

Hot summer evenings are calling for this divine BUN CHA bowl with a warm dipping sauce.  

Healthy, low carb, high protein, with heaps of veggies, Gluten Free and FODMAP friendly!

Read More

Beetroot Smoothie

Beetroot Smoothie

If you hang around the sports nutrition world you'll see there's a lot of fuss about beetroot juice, which has recently been promoted to a Grade A supplement by the Australian Institute of Sport.  Whether you are trying to improve your exercise endurance, improve your blood pressure or just add more veggies to your diet - check out my beetroot smoothie.

Read More

Mid-week Mojito

Presenting my mid week mojito...


INGREDIENTS

  • 4 peppermint tea bags
  • 1 cup mint leaves
  • 2 limes, juiced
  • plenty of ice
  • maple syrup (optional)

METHOD

  1. Add the teabags to 1 litre of boiling water and leave to steep in the fridge for 2 hours 
  2. Half fill a jug with ice, mint leaves and the lime juice.  Add the cooled tea.
  3. Stir through 1 tab table syrup if you like it sweet
  4. Enjoy in the sun!