Nutrition blog | Shift Nutrition

The 5 Step Formula for Amazing Salads

As predictable as it may be, I love a good salad. They are definitely one of my favourite things to ‘cook’ – and not just because they are quick and healthy but because you can be really creative and basically just make them up as you go along. Plus, I love all the different textures and flavours you get from a salad. But as much as I like to freestyle when it comes to salad making, I find that following this formula always leads to great results.

1. Choose a bulking ingredient. This will make up the majority of the salad volume-wise but will likely be the least exciting bit. For example:
Rocket
Baby spinach
Mixed lettuce
Kale
Rice
Pasta
Quinoa
Kidney, cannellini beans, lentils or chickpeas

2. Choose a protein
This is the backbone of the salad, where you can take it from a side to a meal in itself. If you do just want a side salad, feel free to leave this out. Otherwise, try one of these:

Chicken – pan fry a chicken breast and slice or shred
Beef – as above
Salmon – bake or pan fry and flake
Bacon – sliced and fried until crispy
Egg – hard boiled and sliced or poached
Beans or chickpeas
Lentils.
3.Choose a highlight ingredient – this is the fun bit. I always try to use at least one really interesting ingredient a salad which can take it from everyday to a bit gourmet. The highlight ingredient is the star of the show, the salad’s selling point, so make it a good one!

Ideally it should be something either a bit exotic or with a texture that contrasts the rest of the salad. Some of my favourite highlight ingredients are:

Wild rice
Goats cheese, feta or blue cheese
Candied walnuts
Olives
Any sort of toasted nuts – almonds, pine nuts, cashews, walnuts, pecans
Avocado
Dates
Fennel

4. Choose a colourful ingredient.
The best looking salads are colourful ones. So make sure you choose something that will stand out and make the salad look beautiful. Some great colourful additions are:

Pumpkin (cut into cubes and roasted)
Pomegranate seeds
Cherry tomatoes
Red capsicum
Beetroot (roasted and quartered)
Spanish onion
Pink grapefruit
Strawberries
Figs

NB: The highlight and colourful ingredients can be the same thing!

5. Choose a dressing
I tend to use the same dressing for most of my salads which is really quick and easy to make:
1/3 cup olive oil + 1/4 cup lemon juice or balsamic/white/red wine vinegar + 1 teaspoon mustard and 1 teaspoon honey

For something a bit fancier I might use pomegranate molasses or a flavoured vinegar and olive oil.
Or if its an Asian style salad I’ll use a combination of lime juice, fish sauce, sesame oil, sweet chilli sauce and maybe a bit of soy sauce.

Ultimately, the secret to a great salad is to have contrasting colours, flavours and textures so it looks and tastes great. And remember, the best thing about salads is that there are no rules. You’re unlikely to completely stuff it up so be creative!

Want some salad recipes? Here you go

by Skye Swaney Leave a Comment

The Ultimate Guide To Protein

Protein definitely deserves some credit for managing to become both the most overrated and underrated nutrient simultaneously.

On one hand, there’s a billion dollar industry convincing anyone who sets foot in a gym that they might as well not even bother unless they’re going to have a protein shake afterwards.

On the other hand, with our dependence on carbohydrates (breakfast cereal, bread, rice, pasta, fruit), often protein gets forgotten. Including protein at each meal is one of the most common pieces of advice I give to clients who are struggling with overeating, cravings and low energy levels.

Tell me why?
Protein is used by the body to repair and build muscle, which is happening to all of us, all the time (not just body builders). It also plays an important role in filling us up and keeping our blood sugar levels more stable and appetite in check. Most of us eat plenty of protein, but often we have most of it at night or for just one meal of the day. If your diet during the day is mostly made up of breakfast cereal, bread, fruit and vegetables, followed by a big steak or chicken breast at dinner, chances are you could benefit from spacing out your protein a bit more evenly.

Protein = satisfaction
Per calorie, protein is more satiating (filling) than both carbohydrate and fat. It also requires more energy (calories) to digest, so its a win/win for those looking to reduce their overall calorie intake. So by adding protein to each of your meals, you’re basically getting more bang for your buck from that meal and reducing the likelihood you’ll want to reach for a snack 1.5 hours after finishing your cornflakes.

OK, sold – where do I sign up?
The best sources of protein are meat, poultry and fish. Other good sources include eggs and dairy foods, beans and legumes (chickpeas, lentils), nuts and seeds and soy products such as tofu, tempeh.

How much do I actually need?
Not that much actually. As a general guide, you need around 0.8-1.0g per kg or body weight if you’re fairly sedentary (office job + small amounts of exercise). If you’re exercising regularly, this will increase to around 1.2-1.7g/kg, depending on gender, what kind of exercise you’re doing at what intensity and how long you’ve been training for.

Enough numbers, what does that actually look like?
70kg female office worker, light exercise = 56-70g/day

The following foods contain around 10g protein each:

Not all proteins are equal
Often certain foods are marketed as being a ‘complete’ source of protein. This basically means that they contain all of the ‘essential’ amino acids our body cannot produce on its own.

Sorry, amino what?
Without getting too sciency – amino acids are the building blocks of protein. There are 20 different amino acids, of these, 9 are considered ‘essential’ because our body can’t produce them itself so needs to get them from our diet. Most animal sources of protein contain all 20 amino acids, however, most plant proteins lack at least one, so it’s a good idea to consume a range of different plant proteins. Some examples of ‘complete’ plant proteins are quinoa and soy.

Protein supplements 101
The best sources of protein are whole, minimally processed foods in as natural a state as possible – meat, eggs, dairy products, nuts, seeds and legumes, as we’ve covered. But that’s not to say there’s no place at all for protein shakes and other protein supplements.

If you’re doing a lot of resistance training and lifting heavy weights your protein requirements will be elevated. Insufficient protein or overall energy = minimal muscle growth. It’s best to get this extra protein from food, but it’s not always convenient to tuck into a steak right after the gym. So, in some cases, protein supplements can be a good option from a convenience perspective, just don’t be fooled into thinking that they’re a ‘health food’. At the end of the day its another highly processed food that wouldn’t recognise its original food source (milk? soy beans? rice?) if it smacked it in the face. They also often have a lot of artificial ingredients added which our bodies don’t need (although it is possible to make your own ‘protein shake’ without protein powder).

And remember, simply taking protein powder or eating protein bars won’t magically make you build muscle or tone up – you need to be giving your body a reason to change first through good old fashioned exercise.

What happens if I eat more protein than I need?
Your body can’t store excess protein – but if it’s not needed for muscle building and repair, it can be used as fuel instead. If you’re just getting protein from food and not supplementing, the risk of eating too much is low in a healthy person. If you’re downing protein shakes and bars on top of a normal diet, you might be overdoing it.

So what should I eat?
Aim to include some protein in each of your meals, for example:

Breakfast
Cereal? Add some yoghurt (Greek yoghurt is higher in protein than other yoghurt) and have it with milk
Toast? Have it with peanut butter or top it with an egg
Smoothie? Add some milk or soy milk, yoghurt and chia seeds

Lunch
Sandwich? Add some chicken, tuna or roast beef or egg
Salad? Add some beans or chicken/tuna
Pasta? Go for one with some meat or fish
Sushi? As above

Dinner
Meat and veg? You’re sorted
Pasta? Add some meat or fish
Salad? Add some beans, egg, tofu, meat or fish

P.S – despite its bad rap as the most evil of the carbohydrates, bread can contain a decent amount of protein if you go for the right kind. Two slices of multigrain bread can have up to 12g protein!

So, take home message? Protein is your friend, so try to include some in the majority of your meals. And finally, eat real food when you can, supplement if you must – easy!

If you want individualised advice about your protein needs, or you have any other nutrition concerns, we would love to help.

by Skye Swaney Leave a Comment

The Simple Reason Behind Your Afternoon Chocolate Cravings

One of the most common questions I get asked by clients is “why do I always crave chocolate in the afternoon?”

Chocolate cravings are savage beasts. Generally emerging between the hours of 2 and 4pm every day, they attack suddenly and without warning, causing sudden extreme sleepiness, lethargy and the kind of overwhelming cravings that make even a block of Vegemite chocolate an actual viable option.

They will not be ignored and refuse to let you get anything productive done until they get what they want (or you fall asleep, whichever comes first). They assure you that you’ll be far more productive if you just have a little bit (and you’ll only eat half that chocolate bar anyway right?) until you eventually give in and raid the office kitchen/vending machine/your colleagues lolly jar.

But why do they keep picking on you? And more importantly, how can you get rid of them?

There are several reasons for the afternoon emergence of chocolate cravings (or less specific sugar cravings). One reason may be that you’re not sleeping enough – fatigue and stress can increase cravings for sweet foods as our body is telling us we need more energy (translation: sugar). Another reason could be that by repeatedly having something sweet after meals, you’ve accidentally trained your body to expect it. Or maybe its just because chocolate tastes so damn good (and we get a nice little buzz after eating it which is quite addictive). But the most likely culprit is pretty simple – you’re not giving your body what it needs in the first half of the day

This is particularly the case for people who don’t eat breakfast or those who are overly restrictive in their diets. Our bodies are hard wired for survival, and starvation, believe it or not, is a big threat as far as your body is concerned. When we’re hungry our blood sugar levels drop, and low blood sugar levels are perceived as dangerous territory. Your body’s clever way of fixing this problem? Trigger a craving for high sugar foods which will produce the most rapid response in getting blood sugar levels back up into a ‘safe’ range and in doing so keep your survival in check.

But get your blood sugar balance right in the first place and you won’t have to ride the rollercoaster your body sets up later in the day to try and correct them (and you’ll will waste less brain power wondering if anyone would notice if you had a nap under your desk).

Here’s how to do it:

Eat breakfast! Even if its just a handful of nuts, a glass of milk, a banana – something small is far better than nothing at all
Include some protein in your lunch – eggs, tuna, chicken, lean meat, beans, chickpeas – take your pick
Include some low GI carbs in your breakfast and lunch such as oats or other wholegrain cereal, wholegrain bread, rice, pasta or quinoa.
Have a healthy snack in between your meals. Fruit, yoghurt or wholegrain crackers with cheese/peanut butter/hummus are all good options
Make sure you get enough sleep – sleep deprivation can contribute to cravings and increased snacking so get your 7-8 hours!
When cravings strike, instead of panicking, try adopting a curious approach and ask yourself where they might have come from: Are you hungry? Are you bored? Are you trying to put off a task you don’t want to do? Are you tired? Being more aware of why the craving is occurring can be the first step in reducing their impact. If you find you’re not genuinely hungry, try getting up and going for a walk, making a cup of tea, going to chat to a colleague or calling someone and see if this sorts is out
And finally, if after all of this you still want something sweet, there’s no reason you can’t have it. But try to think about what you really want and savour it, eating slowly and stopping when it doesn’t take as good anymore. A couple of dates, some dark chocolate, a yoghurt or a piece of fruit could be enough to do the trick.

For more on this topic, read my post on ‘How to win the 3pm vending machine stand off’

by Skye Swaney Leave a Comment

Warning: Your Body Is Smarter Than You Are

Do you know what this is?

For those of you who studied science, welcome back to second year biochemistry. For those of you who didn’t, this is the Kreb’s cycle – a series of chemical reactions used to generate energy through the oxidation of carbohydrates, fats and proteins.

Or in more simple terms (for those who are still awake) – how our bodies create energy from food.

Anyway, the point of the picture is not to give you a science lesson. It’s to demonstrate that our bodies are extremely complex, and they’re smarter than we’ll ever be. Plus, they’re hardwired for survival – they’ll literally do anything to keep us alive – that’s their job. So when we restrict our deprive them of the nutrients they need, they fight back, and they fight dirty.

Would you take on an opponent who is not only smarter than you but is also more complex, has millions of years experience and is prepared to fight to the death?

Probably not.

So, thinking we can outsmart them through a low carb/detox/intermittent fasting diet is well…a bit ambitious, and will most likely turn out to be a painful waste of time. Your body will work its absolute hardest to maintain the status quo by leaving you so hungry you feel like you could literally eat a horse, craving sugar like it’s an illicit drug and feeling like you could sleep forever. I have no doubt that these diets (or ‘lifestyle changes’) can work amazingly to start with, but sooner or later your body is going to pull rank….and you’re going to lose.

So what can you do instead?
Like taking on any big opponent, identify your common goals and work towards them together – giving your body what it wants: energy – enough to be comfortable and not at risk of starvation but not too much, nutrients – plenty of fruit and veg, wholegrains, protein, some healthy fats and not too much junk, exercise – enough to keep your heart, joints and mind healthy but not too much, and rest – plenty of it) but also getting what you want (a body that can work hard and play hard but also looks pretty good).

Take home message?
Accept that you can’t outsmart your body. Work against it and eventually you’ll lose. Work with it and you can both win.