Protein – bored of chicken and lentils?

2nd February 2017

What is protein? How much protein should I eat? How do I know how much protein is in my food? Which food has the best protein? I’m bored of eating chicken! Ok, well lets give you some alternative tasty protein rich foods to try!

What is protein? Protein is an essential building block in our body that is responsible for helping repair, maintain and build skin, bone, hair, nails and most importantly here, muscle.

Proteins are made up of 20 amino acids. 8 of these are ESSENTIAL in an adult diet – meaning we can’t produce them ourselves so have to get them from our food. (There are 9 essential for children, but that’s too much info for now)… For the purpose of this blog, we are concentrating on adult protein intake and how to get enough when training to support and repair muscle.

In fact a good thing to point out here is:

*EATING MORE PROTEIN WILL NOT GIVE YOU MORE MUSCLE*

*HOWEVER THE LEVEL AND INTENSITY OF YOUR TRAINING WILL DETERMINE HOW MUCH PROTEIN YOUR BODY NEEDS*

Makes sense right?

Food protein sources are categorised in 2 levels:

COMPLETE (ie contain all 8 amino acids) | INCOMPLETE (ie contain less than all 8)

These 2 categories usually fall into 2 food groups:

Animal proteins = complete | Plant proteins = incomplete

This doesn’t mean if you only eat plant proteins you won’t get all the essential amino acids you require, just that you should probably make sure you eat a good variety of them so one source can make up where another is lacking.

Are you still with me?

So how much protein should we have? How do we know how much is in our food? What about when training….? We will get to that, but for now (and the main reason this post was generated), here are my personal favourite high protein foods to add into the mix if you’re finding the chicken and lentil diet is getting a bit bland!

High Protein Foods to try:

1) EGGS

They actually have all 20 amino acids not just the 8 essentials, they are protein boss

2) CHIA SEEDS

Plant based, but have all 8 essential amino acids and honestly I cant recommend them enough, they go in everything and they fill me up – and you know that’s saying something! I use chiabia in smoothies, porridge, with granola and cereals, I make chia puddings, add them to overnight oats, they go in my energy bites, on salad, in with veggie ratatouille and with scrambled eggs – everything!

3) QUINOA

Its also plant based with all essential amino acids though. Bland, yes, boring, yes – it literally needs spicing up but do that and you’re all good.

Other high protein recommendations (aside from meats and fish and in no particular order):

4) HEMP

Milk, milled seeds etc check Good Hemp Food. Love their hemp milk in coffee – so creamy

5) BLACK BEANS

Known to be a bit more easily digestible than some other high protein beans

6) CHICKPEAS

Cos we all love hummus right?

7) SUNFLOWER SEEDS

8) PUMPKIN SEEDS

9) ALMONDS

And other NUTS and NUT BUTTERS including of course PEANUT BUTTER!

10) SEAFOOD

(Tuna), lobster (I wish I could afford it!), scallops, muscles ….

11) Be careful with too many soy products but EDAMAME BEANS fresh from the pods, in a stir fry on a salad are high protein, filling and refreshing (especially with mint too)

More high protein veggies:

12) PEAS

Yes the simple green pea is quite a high protein source

13) BROCCOLI

14) ASPARAGUS

15) KALE

16) SPROUTS

Don’t forget the dairy:

17) CHEESE (YESSSSS!!!!)

Keeping it low fat COTTAGE CHEESE is great and versatile

18) YOGHURT

Be careful to find a high protein natural yoghurt and not one full of added sugars though!

And don’t forget the wild card….. 19) BUGS are really high in protein! In facts INSECTS for their size are perhaps the most nutritionally dense source of protein out there. Although for now, I know I’d rather stick to the peanut butter….

How do you calculate how much protein you actually need? There will be a lovely graphic in the Newsletter with calculations for you – just pop your email address in HERE and I will make sure you get that.

How do I know how much is in my food? Well the easiest way is to literally Google – that is if you are using fresh ingredients.

**REMEMBER to look at the amounts you are eating the foods in though. Google tends to give you 100g worth across the board, but if you’re eating 100g of chicken that’s gonna be a very different portion size than a 100g sunflower seeds for example**

I’ve got you all a chart of everyday foods and their protein content which will also be on the newsletter HERE but you can ask Google for anything else.

What about just looking at the label? Yes you can of course read your food label for its protein content, BUT it’s not as simple as you would think. Unfortunately. Don’t panic, we’ve popped a little guide in the newsletter for you too. You can sign up HERE.

AND FINALLY: Want some protein packed recipes? Check our Instagram for ALL our recipes, the best ones will be on Facebook and in the Newsletter highlights too.

For more info / services / questions you can contact me anytime on info@nitakothari.com

3 Basic Ways to Form Healthy Eating Habits

10th January 2017

This Tasty Tuesday its simple. Here are 3 basic healthy eating habits to try.

Are you getting slightly confused/a little overwhelmed this time of year with lists and advice on things we should do, not do, eat and not eat? 21 day detoxing, 30 day ab challenges, 14 day matcha tea drinking…..the list goes on….?!

Yep, me too. So how about remembering what we already know and actually just doing it? Taking action on our intentions to be the best we can.

A lot of us (me included) are embarking on a healthier lifestyle this January and eating well is a big part of it. That’s great, just don’t be too hard on yourself if by now – yes 10 days in – you think you have already broken all the rules/resolutions you set and you’ve totally blown it. Don’t despair if you’re bored, hungry and cant be bothered. Its ok. Its what we do, we are human.

How about trying the no nonsense way instead?

3 basic ways to form healthy eating habits we should all be able to stick to: Apart from saying NO to seconds and YES to salads, try these for a no nonsense way to bring on healthy eating habits this year:

Drink more water.

It will fill you up, aid digestion, and of course keep you hydrated. You’ve heard it before, I will say it again – the brain can easily confuse thirst and hunger signals, so a lot of the time you think you’re hungry you are actually just thirsty. Try a drink first, but remember to eat at regular intervals too.
Do not deprive yourself

Don’t stock pile for a binge. Remember healthy is about BALANCE. Storing up the junk food or only eating it at weekends is prolonging the pain as far as I’m concerned. Enjoy a little of what you fancy, do not label any foods good or bad and think about MODERATION as key. A healthy attitude to all food leads to better healthy eating habits.
Write down what you eat/drink.

Be honest and write down EVERYTHING you consume. Believe me, if you start this now at the end of the day/week when you look back over your food diary, you will either be proud or disgusted!

There you go – 3 basic, simple, no nonsense tips and tricks. Tried and tested and results seen every time. You see – they say there are no quick fixes, but there are 3. All you have to do it take action and follow them to create healthy eating habits this new year.

To find out more about how no nonsense nutrition can help you prepare and stick to your healthy eating goals, please email : info@nitakothari.com

Want to join us for further help, motivation, support and accountability?

The annual GET FIT IN FEB is starting soon! This year we are extending the community via Facebook and will include healthy eating ideas, recipes, tips and tricks alongside the exercise and activity boosts!

Please register your interest via email here: info@nitakothari.com via Facebook message or by signing up to the newsletter HERE and we will send you further details of this FREE PRIVATE group

How Do You Milk A Cockroach?

28th July 2016

Cockroach milk.

You know they say cockroaches and Cher are the only 2 things that could survive nuclear disaster? Well today we discovered a possible reason why this is a good thing (the survival of the cockroaches, not Cher so much – although I love Cher)! And yep, that’s cockroach milk.

So “How do you milk a cockroach” could be a question we will soon be asking a lot more than you thought due to a recent study, that has found cockroach milk to be so nutrient dense it could be our best bet of a future protein source!

We seem to have a great fascination these days with dairy free milk alternatives and I LOVE most of them. You know I bang on about hemp milk, oat milk, almond milk etc and I have been using them (although I am not lactose intolerant, I am not vegan and I still eat lots of other dairy produce regularly) as I really enjoy the flavours, textures and the addition they make to my coffee and smoothies and ice cream making attempts!

While I’m not yet convinced cockroach milk will be my dairy free alternative of choice, there are some very interesting facts in this recent study:

Here is the research paper: http://journals.iucr.org/m/issues/2016/04/00/jt5013/

And the no nonsense explanation and conclusion is in this weeks blog – READ MORE HERE

Let us know what you think? Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Google+

Portion Size?

26th June 2016

Bonus Q & A. This week you asked mostly about Portion Size. And ladies and gents – SIZE MATTERS. How many? How much? What weight? How many grams is that? How big a handful? Is that enough? Am I putting in too much? …..etc…..

You asked in relation to our recipes/ideas/creations. When sharing my ideas I need point out its usually instant so I can give you a list of ingredients, BUT I know, I don’t usually tell you how much to use, so I wanted to address this question of portion size firstly in relation to our “recipes” and secondly in general.

PORTION SIZE in our creations:

The simple, honest, no nonsense answer as to why we don’t usually include a weight or measurement is because

A) We don’t usually weigh or measure our ingredients. *

B) Because the recipes or ideas we share are usually a one off/first time/instant/this is what I just made and its great – kind of thing. So making it again could mean we use a different portion size of each ingredient or other ingredients!

C) Also, we don’t TELL you how much because we try to EMPOWER you to make your own decisions and creative choices when it comes to food. You might not like one of the ingredients we use, so you can try the recipe and leave that out/substitute it. You may love something in there, so want to include more. And that’s fine.

(* Can I just add we haven’t really attempted baking yet in any pro manner – baking will and does require more precise measurements and when we cross that bridge things may become more precise – for now a cup means use the same cup for all cupfuls in this recipe, a handful means your own hand size, table spoon is the one in the drawer next to the knife and fork, tea spoon is the one your stir the milk in with)

more “Portion Size?” …

All about eggs !

24th March 2016

Morning all – today I wanted to re-share the egg blog. Easter – its all about eggs right? And I know its not Easter just yet, but its nearly, almost, just about, round the corner Easter and nearly, almost, just about, round the corner time for a weekend chocolate indulgence!

I’m sorry and in full disclosure – the blog is not about eggs of the chocolate variety, but it is all about eggs. Thought we’d mix it up a bit and talk about real eggs – yolks and all!

So go ahead and READ MORE HERE about real eggs, the frittata vs tortilla debate, plus full recipes. How about eggs for breakfast/lunch/dinner today? Plus as always you can check out Facebook / Twitter / Instagram for more…..

And to all those celebrating we wish you a very HAPPY EASTER x

dehydration nutrition and hydration week

Day 5 Nutrition and Hydration Week

18th March 2016

On today – Day 5 Nutrition and Hydration week we are looking further at dehydration. Its all very well to emphasize how much we should be drinking and that hydration matters, but how do we know if we are dehydrated? READ MORE HERE

The NHC say: “Water makes up to 60% of an adult’s and 75% of an infant’s body weight and performs crucial roles such as carrying nutrients and waste products between our major organs, helping regulate temperature, lubricating our joints and acting as a shock absorber.”

The NHS says: “Water makes up over two-thirds of the healthy human body. It lubricates the joints and eyes, aids digestion, flushes out waste and toxins, and keeps the skin healthy.”

(info sources are listed on the full blog here)

So hydration matters for all those things – carrying nutrients, regulating body temperature, lubricating joints, aiding digestion, flushing out toxins, keeping skin healthy….. its really important, BUT its also really understandable that keeping that level of water topped up in our system can be hard and we can easily become dehydrated. If we are exercising, in a hot climate, if we are ill or recovering, if we are simply not drinking enough we should be looking out for the early warning sign of simply – THIRST. Yep – you shouldn’t really ever feel that thirsty. Once you feel thirsty, you are probably already a little dehydrated.

After thirst comes:

Dry mouth,
Becoming light headed
Dizziness
Perhaps followed by tiredness
You will probably get a headache
You will also notice if you are dehydrated your urine will be darker in colour
And you will pee a lot less often

Severe dehydration will take on all these symptoms and more:

You may also feel unusually tired and lethargic
You may become confused
The dizziness may not pass if you are severely dehydrated
A weak and/or rapid pulse may be another symptom

These symptoms are very important to look out for in others too – if you know anyone complaining of these sorts of symptoms treat as dehydration – ie get them some water and/or cool them down. You may need to replace lost salts/electrolytes if the cause of the dehydration has been sweating (heat, exercise etc) so put a little salt and sugar into water to make up a solution for them to drink. *NOTE: Severe dehydration can become a medical emergency and require immediate attention, so please refer anyone with severe symptoms to a medical professional as soon as possible*

Day 2 Nutrition and Hydration Week 2016

15th March 2016

‬Its Tasty Tuesday and Day 2 Nutrition and Hydration Week 2016!

Our focus on hydration continues today as promised and as its Tasty Tuesday – today we are looking at hydrating foods.

Did you know 80% of your hydration and fluid intake usually comes from water (and drinks) but 20% can in fact come from hydrating foods?

Well which foods I hear you ask? The top 3 foods with the highest water content are:

CELERY = over 95% water

LETTUCE (especially the lighter green ones eg iceburg) at again over 95% water

CUCUMBER at over 96% water!

Did you see the Sunday Science article we shared via Facebook? Check it out for more info as the 2nd best thing about celery and lettuce is you can buy it once and grow it again yourself! You can also check out this how to video: How to grow a garden from kitchen scraps to find out more about growing your own in the simplest way possible. I have no allotment, garden, balcony or even window box, but reckon I could give this a go – if I can, you can I’m sure, so as spring approaches why not take a stab at growing your own hydrating foods – its free!

A full list of hydrating foods will be included on the Thursday Blog, so be sure to come back and check that out. In the meantime we suggest you sign up to the newsletter by completing the panel on the right and the info will automatically drop straight to your inbox – no nonsense! And do share your own nutrition and hydration tips by Tweeting us @nononsensenita or posting to Facebook

More info on Nutrition and Hydration week can be found here: www.nutritionandhydrationweek.co.uk

Nutrition and Hydration Week 2016

14th March 2016

Hi all – just wanted to draw your attention to Nutrition and Hydration week 2016 – starting today – Monday 14th March and lasts the full week. Whats it all about? Take a look here: www.nutritionandhydrationweek.co.uk and pledge your support by emailing info@nutritionandhydrationweek.co.uk

For the 2nd year running, we are proud to support Nutrition & Hydration Week in raising awareness of not only good nutrition as we usually do, but the importance of good hydration too.

Do you know just how much water you should be drinking every day? Do you think you drink enough? Do you know what percentage of your body is made up of water and what happens when you become dehydrated? Do you know what causes dehydration? Did you know foods can hydrate too? Do you know someone that requires extra monitoring of their hydration – someone who may may be older/recovering from illness/sick/in hospital/requiring care? Someone involved in a sports/exercise/activity/training program? Do you know the importance of hydration on weight management? What about the effects of alcohol (dehydration)? We will be addressing these questions though the week via Facebook / Twitter @nononsensenita and Google + so for the answers please go like/follow/tweet/share/comment etc and let us know your thoughts on Nutrition and Hydration this week. You can also follow the @NHWeek Twitter feed for ongoing events and info this week.

i can make healthy lifestyle choices world cancer day

World Cancer Day 2016

4th February 2016

On World Cancer Day this year, please help us raise awareness that EVERYONE can make healthy lifestyle choices to reduce their cancer risks.

To start you can like/follow/share our social media today using the hashtags #WorldCancerDay and #WeCanICan Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Google+

And you can see our full blog article here: World Cancer Day blog

This is an issue close to our heart as personally, we have succeeded in achieving optimum health and wellness after surviving cancer in our early 20’s. We discovered a successful focus on nutrition and fitness was the way to overcome the depression, anxiety, nosedive in confidence and self esteem, further ill health and total lack of energy that followed too.

Now living the happiest and healthiest life possible, we founded no nonsense nutrition in 2015 with a passion to help you do the same. As a certified and fully licensed nutritional therapist and health walk leader, my no nonsense focus is on you as an individual. Together we create tailor made, sustainable programs to re-balance health, energy, weight or other related goals – no nonsense consultations and workshops are for anyone ready to put themselves and their health first. no nonsense nutrition provides honest and practical advice on everyday nutrition, health and fitness to aid your overall wellbeing. For an honest consultation, or to find out more please register your interest by contacting us here: info@nitakothari.com

For further details of making healthy lifestyle choices to reduce your own cancer risk see these tips from our NHS: http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/preventing-cancer/Pages/diet-and-cancer.aspx

And for more info on the World Cancer Day campaign see: www.worldcancerday.org

New Years Resolutions – Getting SMARTER

7th January 2016

Welcome to the first blog of the year. Getting SMARTER with New Years Resolutions. Naturally naturally we are talking about making New Years Resolutions in January. Not just making them, but how to make good ones. How to achieve them by getting SMARTER in setting them. How we attached value and reason to finally succeed in keeping promises we make to ourselves.

If, like me, you’ve been setting the same new years resolutions for a while only to give up, give in and berate yourself time and time again for being unsuccessful, check the blog HERE. We talk about common goal setting mistakes you will want to avoid. Click HERE to learn how to improve your new years resolutions and keep them!

Category: Nutrition