MEN'S HEALTH

How does your stomach measure up?  

People who store most of their body fat around the waist (abdominal fat) have an increased risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes plus high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

If your waist circumference is over 94cm, you are at increased risk of chronic disease.

 To measure your waist circumference, use a tape measure. Start at the top  of the hip bone, then bring it all the way around -- level with your navel.  Make sure it's not too tight and that it is parallel with the floor. Don't hold  your breath while measuring it!  

By seeing a qualified and experienced dietitian you can reduce your risks, feel and look a lot healthier. By simply adjusting your "dietary portfolio” you can pay off with life-extending dividends.

Fast facts!

• Sit ups wont do much for weight loss around your stomach

• Losing weight will improve your cholesterol

• Research suggests that making healthy food choices, eating moderate portions and building physical activity into your daily life is the best way to lose weight and keep it off

• More fibre in your diet can improve your cholesterol and boost your immunity

• Overweight men risk chances of infertility

• Two weekly servings of oily fish, like salmon, can lower LDL (bad) cholesterol by 20%

• You can beat high cholesterol with diet and get off the medications

DID YOU KNOW that a dietitian can also help you manage stress, fatigue and those grumbling stomach pains, bloating and excess wind.  

Don’t get OLD before your time! Contact Zoe or Marlene today to make an appointment (after hours available).  

FOOD MYTHS

Myth: Beer is fattening.

Fact: A 375ml stubby of beer contains 550kJs, the same as a large banana. As with any food or drink that contains kilojoules (calories), too many will add to your waistline, but it's the food you eat along with the beers that is often the bigger problem. A beer or two with a healthy meal should not prevent you from losing weight.

Myth: Potatoes and bread are fattening.

Fact: By themselves, they're not high in kilojoules — 400 kilojoules for a medium potato and 450 kilojoules for an average-size slice of bread, the same as a large apple. Both potatoes and bread are great sources of carbohydrates.  

Myth: Carbs (carbohydrates) cause weight gain.

Fact: Carbohydrates are your body's most important fuel source, you are more likely to gain weight from eating excess fat as fat contains more than double the kilojoules (calories) than carbs.Too many kilojoules from any source, including protein, are stored as body fat.

Research has shown that people who successfully maintain weight loss tend to eat diets that are higher in carbohydrates and lower in fat, in addition to watching their total kilojoule intake.   

Myth: Only organic fruits and vegetables offer real health benefits.

Fact: Every study that succeeded in establishing the anti-cancer potential of fruits and vegetables focussed on foods cultivated in conventional ways. Eating foods labelled organic is not a prerequisite for benefiting from these foods.

Myth: Margarine has fewer kilojoules than butter.

Fact: Regular margarine and butter contain the same number of kilojoules: about 144 per teaspoon  

Myth: A rich, chocolate sundae before bedtime is more fattening than the same sundae eaten at lunchtime.

Fact: Timing has no direct effect on how your body uses kilojoules. How much you eat, not when, makes the difference. No matter when they're eaten, excess kilojoules can add up to extra body fat.

Myth: Fat free is calorie free.

Fact: Some people indulge in extra-large servings of fat-free foods, such as cookies, cakes and crackers, without realising that these foods may contain the same amount or even more kilojoules than regular versions. Get the facts on fat-free foods by checking food labels for the serving size and number of kilojoules per serving. Fruits and vegetables are naturally low in kilojoules. However, other low fat or no fat foods may still contain a lot of kilojoules from the sugar or protein in the food  

Myth: Exercise makes you eat more.

Fact: However, research has shown that after 20 minutes of exercise people ate no more than those who had done nothing. The only difference was that those who had exercised thought the food tasted better  

Start reducing your waistliline today! Click on contact to make an appointment by calling Zoe or Marlene directly, or via email. Figureate has offices in Malvern and Coburg, both less than a 15 minute drive from Melbourne CBD.  

Specialists in Weight Loss, Weight loss tips, Weight loss plans,

Fructose Malabsorption and Food Intolerance