Nutritional Blog

It may be obvious that someone is overweight because of overeating and under-exercising. However, what is not obvious is why we over eat and what causes our binging.  It’s all well and good having an amazing, balanced meal plan to follow but it becomes redundant if you don’t address the reasons for overeating. By not combating the overeating, weight loss with be a constant battle and yoyo dieting then becomes a way of life.

Everyone has their ways and means of losing weight, some go it alone and some get help.  One common mistake people make and I see it in my clinic all the time is calorie counting. Yes, calories are important and it is savvy to have a clear indication of what the calorie content of your favourite foods. However, being over consumed by calories or counting of any sort can be tedious and short lived. Portion control is a much easier method to avoiding over eating. In order to maintain a healthy balanced diet its vital to identify the reason you over eat.

You are bored

Boredom is one of the main causes for overeating. Overeating due to boredom often occurs when you are not hungry; the food rarely satisfies you due to lack of hunger. It’s also another form of procrastinating; eating takes the place of doing something else. When you eat out of boredom the food choices also tend to be high in fat, sugar and salt or processed in some way.

Late night eating

This can present itself in a few ways. Bad planning is the main cause of this. If you have not planned your dinner, then you may find yourself reaching for the takeout menu for convenience reasons. Preparing dinner too late can also lead to snacking prior or during dinner preparation and the majority of these snacks tend to be unhealthy.

Winding down at the end of the night is another cause of over eating. We all know the feeling of getting comfortable on the couch after a long day and having a snack to accompany the T.V, laptop, kindle, book or whatever form of entertainment you choose.,,,,,,, click to read more

Omega 3 fish oils have in some studies been shown to stimulate blood circulation, increases the breakdown of fibrin, a compound involved in clot and scar formation, and may reduce blood pressure slightly. Some evidence indicates that omega fatty acids reduce cholesterol levels, especially triglycerides. Regular intake may help reduce the risk of heart attack.

The American Heart Association recommends the consumption of 1 gram of fish oil daily, preferably by eating fish, for patients with coronary heart disease. Healthy women who said they ate fish five times a week or more had a 45% lower risk of dying of heart disease over the next 16 years than healthy women who ate fish less than once a month, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association. An editorial in the May 15, 2000 issue of the American Journal of Cardiology claimed the time had come to add fish and fish oil supplements to the list of standard treatments of coronary heart disease.

In recent years, cardiologists have regularly prescribed omega 3 supplements to patients post myocardial infarction (heart attack) to reduce triglycerides levels. Triglycerides are a form of cholesterol that contributes to a build-up of fatty substances (plaque) in the blood vessels that leads to clots including heart attacks and strokes. However, the effectiveness of triglycerides for preventing clots is still under scrutiny. The HSE recently took omega 3 supplements off the GMS list meaning that Omega 3 is no longer available for free to medical card patients and meaning it is no longer subsidised for private patients under the HSE’s Drug Payment Scheme. The reason behind this according to the HSE is a lack of evidence of the effectiveness of omega 3s to prevent clots.

Do you getting enough omega 3’s in your diet?

Omega 3 fatty acids are primarily found in oily fish such as salmon, fresh tuna, mackerel, herring, sardines and pilchards. We should eat two portions of fish per week, one of them oily. For people who do not eat sufficient fish oils, in Whelehans I recommend a fish oil supplement called MorEPA^® as it contains the highest level of pure omega 3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) of any fish oil supplement on the market. Ask in Whelehans for more details on MorEPA^®. For those suffering from joint pain and inflammatory conditions like arthritis, in Whelehans we find that a fish oil supplement called Lyprinol^® gives relief in many cases as it has a more potent anti-inflammatory effects than other fish oils.

Whelehans Nutrition Service

Whelehans nutritional service is a private one to one advice service with our nutritionist Aisling Murray. Aisling’s areas of interest include weight loss management, nutrition education and food intolerance. Our nutrition service offers you the chance to change your life in a positive way by focusing on your overall wellbeing as well as the chance to follow up on your progress.

Disclaimer: Supplements are not meant as a substitute for a balanced diet.

Aisling Murray has a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and offers a one to one specialist nutrition service at Whelehans Pharmacy. Call Whelehans at 04493 34591 for an appointment

Asthma and Diet

Unfortunately, there is no specialised diet for someone with asthma; your medication including your inhalers is the most effective way of managing your asthma including temporary relief of asthma symptoms like shortness of breath and longer term control. It is however important to have a healthy diet as part of your overall asthma treatment. Eating healthy is just as important as having regular exercise. Asthmatics who are obese tend to find it more difficult to control their symptoms than asthmatics of healthy weight. If you are intolerant to certain foods its recommended to avoid them as they may exacerbate asthma symptoms; in relation to possible food intolerances exacerbating your asthma symptoms, a food diary is a good tool to use to determine food versus symptoms

Asthma and Nutrition

The incidence of asthma has risen in Ireland over the past three decades. Ireland has the fourth highest instance of asthma in the world with over 470,000 people living with it; that’s almost 10% of the population. Some researchers speculate that our changing diet has a lot to do with the amount of people being diagnosed with asthma. Unfortunately, in Ireland our intake of fruit and vegetables is decreasing and more and more people are now consuming processed foods. It’s still unclear if the foods we are eating have a clear correlation with asthma.

There is some evidence which indicates that diets rich in Vitamin C and E, beta-carotene, omega-3 and magnesium lowers risk of asthma. This may be due to the fact the majority of these nutrients are antioxidants which means they protect the cells from free radical damage. A recent study indicated that teenagers with poor diets were more likely to have asthma symptoms. Those individuals most likely to have poor lung function had diets lacking in fruit, vegetables, vitamin C rich foods and omega – 3 fatty acids.  Children who grow up eating a balanced diet are less susceptible to asthma like symptoms. It’s not clear that a deficiency in certain foods is the cause of asthma as “treatment” of asthma with these foods has been unsuccessful. Unfortunately taking supplements will have very little benefit over asthma control.

That being said having a healthy balanced diet has a direct link with well controlled asthma. By having the right nutrients in the right quantities, your body is less susceptible to illness and has a better opportunity to fight the respiratory viruses that trigger asthma attacks.

Since the beginning of 2015, the Whelehans Weight Loss Clinic has been in operation and we already have had successful weight loss stories for a number of my clients. The clinic is only €10 per week and not only do I offer advice on weight loss but I help to keep you motivated on your weight loss journey. It offers great value for money not only for those hoping to lose weight, but those who want to change their life in a positive way including being more energised, improving your mood, confidence etc; all this can be done in a natural way through small changes in your diet.  I am a qualified nutritionist and my aim for the clinic is to provide safe and effective weight loss. I supervise and offer advice on healthy and effective weight loss. Each week your weight is documented and tracked and I review your food diary from the previous week. The food diaries are vital as they allow me to see what you are eating and I recommend alternative foods to add some variation.

Many of my clients have had great weight loss success and one such client, Mary Mc’Cormack from Mullingar, has lost over 5 stone since starting in the clinic in late February 2015. I asked Mary her thoughts on the clinic and what advice she can offer others:

Marys weight loss story (in her own words)

Whelehans Weight Loss Clinic has made me a happier and healthier person and for that I want to thank Aisling for all her help and support.  When I started the clinic I was tipping the scales at over 23 ½ stone; I was unhealthy and miserable.

Christmas may be over but the left overs may still be lurking around the house; there is no time like the present to ditch the Christmas snacks and opt for a heathy way of eating.

Nuts

Nuts are full of vitamin E and monounsaturated fats and are a great snack. However, they are incredibly high in calories; 40 peanuts have over 170kcals.

Cheese board

Cheese contains huge amounts of saturated fat and calories. A matchbox size (30g) of cheddar or stilton can contain over 120Kcal.

Alcohol

Alcohol contains hundreds of hidden calories.

Beer: A pint of beer or lager can contain as much 250kcal and a bottle of beer like Corona, Heineken or Budweiser can have 150Kcals per bottle.

Mulled wine: A medium glass of mulled wine or white wine can have as much as 250kcal.

The tin of roses

Cadbury’s Roses are in almost every household over Christmas but each sweet can contain 48Kcal. Think of it this way, 5 sweets (which many of us would scoff down without even thinking) can be almost 250kcal; that is not to even mention the huge quantities of sugar present in each sweet.

Crisps

Pringles contain 963Kcal per tub and a staggering 59g of fat. A 45g Bag of Hunky Dory crisps contain 237Kcal and 14.3g of fat, and Tayto cheese and onion crisps contain 197Kcal and 12.7g of fat per 37g bag. It’s a good idea to limit the amount of crisps you consume, only have a bag very now and again.

Have you over indulged over Christmas?

It’s usually around this time of the year we make the decision to lose weight after possible weight gain from Christmas. Some of us don’t know where and when to start. I always suggest getting help with your weight loss by visiting a nutritionist as they offer accurate and impartial and balanced weight loss advice. To lose weight effectively there is no special potion you can take; losing weight requires determination and will power. I offer weight loss advice that is easy to follow and all ingredients in your meals can be bought in the local supermarket.  I monitor weight loss in a one to one consultation and steer clients in the right direction when it comes to weight loss.

One issue most of my clients have had in the past with previous weight loss methods was the lack of treat food they could consume. I always suggest to my clients to eat everything in moderation and watch your portions. All this advice is covered in my clinic. I find that over time most of my clients lose interest in eating sweet foods and as unbelievable as it may seem, many stop eating them altogether. This is not something I recommend to them but an action they take upon themselves. My weekly weight loss plans cost only €10 per week. So when do you start losing weight? No time like the present I say!

Weekly weigh in clinic

Currently I am offering a weight loss program where your BMI and waist measurement is calculated and I check your weight weekly. You get tips and motivation weekly to help you lose weight all at a great weekly rate of €10 per week.

Whelehans Nutrition Service

Whelehans nutritional service is a private one to one advice service with our nutritionist Aisling Murray. Aisling’s areas of interest include weight loss management, nutrition education and food intolerance. Our nutrition service offers you the chance to change your life in a positive way by focusing on your overall wellbeing as well as the chance to follow up on your progress.

Aisling Murray has a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and offers a one to one specialist nutrition service at Whelehans Pharmacy. Call Whelehans at 04493 34591 for an appointment. E-mail questions to info@whelehans.ie