Creating a Positive Performance Culture

Creating a Positive Performance Culture

Language and commentary around nutrition, body composition and movement can influence the actions of athletes, impacting on their health and performance. It is important that we create a safer and supportive environment for an athlete, squad or team.

How can you be an awesome role model?

A good start is to encourage and promote the role of nutrition in performance. 

Some suggestions include:

  • Recognising the role of food and eating in enjoyment and pleasure, in addition to its role in performance
  • If body composition is being discussed, ensure goals are related to performance benefits, as opposed to looking “more fit” or for aesthetic reasons
  • Don’t engage in making comments about any athlete’s weight, shape, body composition or dietary intake (no matter how subtle it seems)
  • Always maintain focus on improving additional performance success factors that are unrelated to weight/size

Tips for coaches and/or parents

Be aware and never assume your athlete is okay in this space – listen, talk and open this conversation up with your athletes and entire support team! Create a culture that is safer, supportive and promotes positive relationships with individual bodies and performance nutrition.

Thoughts and actions to remove:

  • Recommending specific diets, cutting out foods/food groups, skipping meals, calorie tracking or promoting rigid food rules
  • Judgemental language around foods/drinks or activity e.g. sluggish, heavy, bad, naughty, wrong/right, guilty pleasure etc.
  • The urge to comment on an athlete’s or other support/team member’s food choices or body

If you think an athlete around you might have a negative relationship with food or their body, seek support from an Accredited Sports Dietitian and ask them ‘how can I best support you?’. Build a supportive team around them. This can include health professionals such as a Psychologist and Exercise Physiologist.

Book an appointment with our wonderful Sports Dietitian, Georgie Tran here.

Joyful Movement

Joyful Movement

The concept of ‘joyful movement’ is to approach physical activity in a positive way, where we can enjoy the different ways we can move our bodies. There are many benefits to regular physical activity, including lowering stress and insulin levels, digestive support and building motivation.

Sometimes, it can be challenging to engage in regular movement, especially if you’ve struggled with your relationship with exercise and movement. Trying to focus on participating in movement that we enjoy can help us to build a positive relationship with movement and our body, and increase our chances of moving our body regularly.

Shifting the focus

When we focus on finding movement that we enjoy, we are more likely to look forward to moving our bodies.

Tips and suggestions

Start by exploring different types of movement and what feels best for you. You might already have an idea of what type of movement you enjoy, but for some it might take some time trying a variety of different activities to find what feels best.

Some suggestions you can explore:

  • Dancing to your favourite music
  • Walking with your dog
  • Playing with your children or grandchildren
  • Gardening
  • Yoga or Pilates
  • Team sports

Be patient with yourself and try a few different things until you find something that is safe, accessible and right for you. Start off slow and ease into it one step at a time. It can be helpful to seek support from an Exercise Physiologist.

These are only a handful of suggestions. All types of movement are valid.

It’s also important to note that sometimes movement won’t be joyful, and that’s ok too. For example, participating in rehabilitative movement to recover from an injury or to support mobility. Focus on what works best for you and your body, and seek appropriate support from a health professional specific to your needs e.g. Exercise Physiologist and Physiotherapist.

Understanding ARFID

Understanding ARFID

Avoidant-restrictive food intake disorder, commonly known as ARFID, is an eating disorder characterised by three typical presentations:

  • Persistent refusal to eat specific foods based on sensory characteristics of food
    • Sensory challenges may look like difficulty being around different smelling foods, touching different textures or avoiding certain noises or colours of foods.
  • Concern about aversive consequences of eating and/or drinking
    • For example, traumatic experiences such as choking, vomiting or gastrointestinal distress
  • A lack of interest in eating or food
    • Can also include a lack of awareness of hunger cues

An individual can fit into one or more of these presentations.

Individuals living with ARFID often also experience one or more of the following:

  • Nutritional deficiency
  • Malnutrition and/or delayed growth
  • A reliance on nutrition supplements
  • Interference with psychosocial functioning, such as not being able to eat with friends or finding it difficult to eat at work

Seeking support

Behaviours associated with ARFID may act as a form of self-protection for some. However, if you’re noticing physical and emotional signs associated with ARFID are impacting your ability to participate in activities of daily living, or you would like to work on developing a more positive relationship with food, support is available.

Some pathways forward include:

  1. Try to incorporate regular meals

Working towards eating regular meals every 3 or so hours is helpful for most people. It might need to be more frequent for young ones. Aiming to incorporate regular meals and snacks help to support appetite regulation and enhance nutritional intake.

  1. Try to minimise pressure

Focus on trying to make mealtimes enjoyable. Don’t pressure yourself or your loved one to try new foods or a large volume of food if they are not ready. Being able to trust that we can decide what we ate, and how much we eat works wonders for reducing anxiety around mealtimes.

  1. Share meals with others

Try to have non-preferred food around the table when eating with others. There is no pressure to eat these foods right away, but being near these foods and building gradual exposure can be helpful.

  1. Reach out to a Psychologist & Dietitian

Support from a Psychologist and Dietitian with an understanding of ARFID can help you or your loved one learn more about your experiences with food and can collaborate with you on a treatment approach that will suit your needs. Some examples of ways a Psychologist and Dietitian can help include:

  • Helping to manage feelings of anxiety or stress around mealtimes
  • Preparing and managing exposure to new or non-preferred foods

Low FODMAP Snack Ideas

Low FODMAP Snack Ideas

Looking for low FODMAP snack ideas?

We hear you.

Starting a low FODMAP diet can feel overwhelming and if we’re honest, it can sometimes feel like you’re trying to decipher a new language when trying navigate what is a high or low FODMAP food.

We often find the biggest stumbling block for clients we work with is figuring out what to snack on.

So look no further, we have compiled our go-to list of low FODMAP snacks to make the journey a little bit easier.

When it comes to building a snack, combining a carbohydrate source with a protein or fat source helps to achieve satisfaction and feelings of fullness. 

Some ideas of low FODMAP snacks:

  • Popcorn & 2 slices of cheddar cheese
    • Fun Fact #1: Most types of cheese are naturally low in lactose when consumed in single serve sizes
  • 1 cup of berries & 1 tub of lactose-free yoghurt
  • 1 orange & small handful of almonds, hazelnuts or macadamias
  • Rice/Corn Cakes & 2 tablespoons ricotta cheese
  • Gluten Free Grainy Toast with peanut butter & sliced banana
  • 2 Kiwi fruits & Low FODMAP Nut Bar*
    • Fun Fact #2: Eating 2 kiwis has been shown to help keep our bowels happy and ease constipation by improving the texture of our bowels and increasing the frequency and regularity of motions.
  • Boiled eggs with Gluten Free Grainy Toast, drizzle of olive oil and seasoning
  • Grainy Gluten Free Crackers & 3 tablespoons feta cheese dip
  • Grainy Gluten Free Crackers & 3 tablespoons eggplant dip
  • Berry/Banana smoothie with Lactose Free Milk & 1 tablespoon LSA mix
  • 1 cup of grapes & matchbox size brie or camembert & 2 squares of milk chocolate

*Look out for the Monash Low FODMAP symbol on packaged products, such as muesli bars and cereals.

We hope you find these ideas helpful.

Click here for more information on whether a low FODMAP diet is right for you.

It is also important for us to share that the low FODMAP diet has the potential to be particularly restrictive and should not be commenced without consultation from a dietitian that is trained in the area. 

3 reasons to enjoy family meals together

Family Meals

3 reasons to enjoy family meals together

With busy lives, varying schedules and the increasing presence of technology in our lives, family meals often move down the priority list. 

Family meals may be defined as children and adolescents of all ages, sitting at the table and eating with at least one parent or adult loved one, without technology. It’s not about cooking an elaborate meal or stressing about what your child eats, it is about being together, connecting and learning. These meals do not have to be long either, a main meal may be 20 minutes and a snack may be 10-15 minutes. 

Here are three reasons why you may want to consider incorporating family mealtimes into your day. 

1. Having regular, sit down meals at the table together helps with establishing a regular meal and snack routine. In doing so, you are helping to support appetite regulation and reduce the chances of mindless grazing between meals, over time.  

2. Children and adolescents that eat family meals are more likely to evolve to consume a higher quality diet, according to research. Of note, higher intakes of vegetables, fruits and fibre and lower intakes of saturated fats have been observed (1)

3. Research shows that children and adolescents who eat family meals more often are less likely to experience disordered eating or alcohol and substance use. Research is unclear on the exact mechanism of this relationship. It has been proposed that the perception of family cohesiveness and related increase to self esteem, may reduce the risk of engagement in such unhealthy behaviours (2). Additionally, the experience of positive family mealtime experiences has also been shown to be a protective factor against disordered eating (3).

If you feel you and your family may need some extra guidance in setting up positive family meals, feel free to reach out to our family Dietitian Danielle Bell for support here.

References:

(1) Gillman, M.W., Rifas-Shiman, S.L., Frazier, A.L., Rockett, H.R., Camargo Jr, C.A., Field, A.E., Berkey, C.S. and Colditz, G.A., 2000. Family dinner and diet quality among older children and adolescents. Archives of family medicine, 9(3), p.235

(2) Harrison, M.E., Norris, M.L., Obeid, N., Fu, M., Weinstangel, H. and Sampson, M., 2015. Systematic review of the effects of family meal frequency on psychosocial outcomes in youth. Canadian Family Physician, 61(2), pp.e96-e106.

(3) Neumark-Sztainer, D., Wall, M., Story, M. and Fulkerson, J.A., 2004. Are family meal patterns associated with disordered eating behaviors among adolescents?. Journal of adolescent health, 35(5), pp.350-359.

How to recognise different types of hunger

Types of hunger

How to recognise the different types of hunger

We often think of hunger as the rumbles in our stomach or the feeling of emptiness. While this is one aspect, there are many other types of hunger cues that we all experience as well.

These include:

  • Physical hunger
  • Emotional hunger
  • Taste hunger
  • Practical hunger

By learning how to recognise the different types of hunger, we can explore how to best respond to our body’s cues.

Physical hunger

Starting with the one that often comes to mind when we think of hunger, physical hunger. This type of hunger comes from our need for energy and food to keep us going, growing and glowing! It can manifest as that rumbling sensation in our stomach and also as feelings of fatigue, irritability, shakiness, difficulty paying attention and thinking about food.

Side note – if the first sign of physical hunger you notice is a growling stomach then it is likely you are letting yourself get too hungry before eating, which increases the likelihood of feeling “out of control” around food, sweet cravings and overeating.

Taste hunger

Taste hunger is when you have a desire for a specific food or taste. It might occur alongside physical hunger, or it might not. For example, after a satisfying meal out with friends you see your favourite dessert on the menu and so you feel taste hunger because it sounds great and is appealing. Some people might think of it as a craving. If you would like to read more about cravings, read this blog here.

And just to reiterate, this type of hunger is valid. You are allowed to eat just because something looks or sounds good, even if you’re not physically hungry. Honouring what we truly feel like eating is an important factor in feeling satisfied. If we don’t feel satisfied with a meal or snack, it is likely that we will unconsciously continue to seek out food in an attempt to hit that satisfaction point.

Emotional hunger

Emotional hunger typically appears when we have an unmet emotional need. For example, a desire to eat food for comfort, distraction or to help soothe an emotion. It typically comes on quickly and is coupled with feelings of sadness, anxiety, loneliness, and also joy and celebration.

This hunger can often bring a lot of guilt and shame which can impact our relationship with food. It is important to normalise that this too is another valid form of hunger and it is really tricky to explore without first understanding whether physical hunger is being honoured. If you find that this type of hunger is coming up frequently, it can be a sign that there is a part of us that is being ignored and needs a bit more tender loving care.

Practical hunger

Practical hunger is less about noticing sensations in your body and more about trusting that you know how to honour your body’s need for regular energy and nutrition. It is essentially about eating at a time that is convenient. For example, eating a meal during your designated lunch break in response to an anticipated physical hunger that you won’t be able to satisfy later.

Noticing the type of hunger that you are experiencing is a useful tool to help you identify how to best satisfy it and respond to your body’s cues. For example, you might be physically hungry with a taste hunger for chocolate, but although chocolate is delicious it’s not filling, so you might pair it with another satisfying snack or meal to feel truly satisfied.

Eating in response to the different types of hunger is valid and important. It can also help us to appreciate that food is so much more than just fuel, it is also a source of connection, culture, joy, celebration and more. You are allowed to enjoy it 🙂 

We appreciate that exploring some of the concepts in a blog can be quite complex. If you are noticing this brings up more challenges for you, please consider reaching out to a non-diet Dietitian or trusted GP.

Why do I feel hungry after eating?

Hunger after eating

Why do I feel hungry after eating?

Do you ever find yourself thinking “Why am I still hungry after eating?”

Feeling hungry after a meal is more common than most of us might think. And in this blog, we will explore some likely reasons for feelings of hunger or lack of satisfaction after a mealtime.

Some factors to consider:

  1. Are you eating enough?

If you’re finding yourself feeling hungry after a meal, consider am I truly eating enough?

Often our idea of what should be enough has been influenced by diet culture and the messaging we have been exposed to over time, which often is not enough.

Human bodies need a lot more food than most people think!

  1. Was the meal filling?

While you could feel physically full from say a meal of protein and vegetables, chances are you won’t actually feel satisfied.

Satisfaction is what ‘turns off’ the hunger signals and ‘turns on’ those fullness signals.

If you’re not feeling satisfied after a meal, it is likely that your body will continue to seek out food in an attempt to hit that satisfaction point.

If you are regularly depriving yourself or feeling guilty about eating a bit more food to feel satisfied, there is a high chance that your body will try to compensate by making those hunger signals louder.

So, what is a satisfying meal?

Generally speaking, a satisfying meal is one that contains enough energy, protein, fat and carbohydrates that meets our body’s needs. And don’t forget flavour for a satisfying eating experience!

Having a substantial meal with these things in mind will help to keep you feeling satisfied and energised.

It is also worth noting that food can be satisfying without being filling. For example, cheese and crackers, candy, smoothies, a muffin. So when you are deciding what to eat, it can be helpful to consider both – physical hunger and satisfaction.

  1. Do you follow rules around food and eating?

Do you have a list of foods that are ‘good’ or ‘bad’, and do you spend a lot of your time trying to avoid the ‘bad’ or ‘off-limits’ foods?

By trying to avoid them, we tend to crave and desire them more because of the deprivation mindset, which can lead to an all-or-nothing approach to eating. This often leads us to eat a lot more than we may genuinely feel like, and unfortunately, this process often repeats.

Whereas, if we were to enjoy the food we were eating, without the feelings of guilt or shame that comes with thinking of food as ‘good’ or ‘bad’, we may feel more relaxed to eat the food and move on, simply because we have given ourselves permission to have it again another time.

By granting ourselves unconditional permission to eat and eating foods that we truly want, we ease the psychological deprivation and over time we are no longer driven to ‘give in’ or binge on particular foods.

Focusing on making enjoyable and satisfying meals and snacks that include a variety of different foods allows for pleasure and health.

If you find yourself feeling hungry after eating, I encourage you to consider eating more, or something different.

And to sum it all up:

A portion of food depends on…

  • How hungry you feel
  • How satisfying the food is
  • How you’re feeling
  • How the food tastes

And so much more.

Notice what feels good for you. It will vary each day.

We appreciate that exploring some of the concepts in this blog can be quite complex. If you are noticing this brings up more challenges for you, please consider reaching out to a non-diet Dietitian or trusted GP.

Bloating 101: How to beat the bloat & When do you actually need to

Bloating Blog

Bloating 101: How to beat the bloat & When do you actually need to

Bloating.

We’ve all been there.

We’re enjoying one of our favourite meals or a dish we have been eating for years (sometimes it can feel like just about anything we put into our mouths) and then we are met with that all too common feeling of bloating – a swollen or distended stomach pressing onto the waistband of our pants and feeling firm to touch.

There is an overload of information out there on the best ways to ‘get rid of bloating’, with people touting different products, remedies and advice all over social media and the internet. It can be quite overwhelming trying to find the right answers.

But here is the thing…

 
It is perfectly normal to experience bloating.

 

Bloating happens when our digestive tract is filled with gas. The causes of bloating vary between people, but most of the time it is caused by our body’s natural digestive process.

Now, this isn’t to say that bloating is something to be ignored. Some people experience genuine food intolerances, which can be very painful and uncomfortable. So, if you experience persistent pain and other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, constipation/diarrhoea (or any changes to bowel movements) and weight loss alongside the bloating then it is important to speak with your Doctor.

What can we do to ease bloating?

If there is no pain or major discomfort associated with the bloating, then the best thing we can do is try and change how we think and feel about it.

It is helpful to remind ourselves that bloating is a perfectly normal process during digestion and it will pass.

And when you really think about it, when was the last time you noticed someone else’s bloating? I can almost guarantee a time won’t come to mind. It’s very likely that you’re the only person that will notice if you are bloated.

If bloating is an issue for you, then there are a few things you may like to explore:

 

  1. Are you eating enough?

Have you been dieting or restricting the amount of foods you eat? Has the variety in your diet changed? Research tells us that food restriction can contribute and/or exacerbate bloating by slowing down digestion, lowering the production of important digestive enzymes, decreasing the production of healthy gut bugs and increasing stress.

We know that as dietary variety increases, our gut health and symptoms improve.

If the idea of increasing your food intake or variety sounds stressful, we are here to help support you.

  1. Identify foods that might worsen symptoms

If you’re reading this then there is a good chance you have heard of the low FODMAP diet, where you eliminate foods that are commonly identified as triggers. It is a short-term experiment (emphasis on the short term) used to explore whether or not these FODMAPs may be contributing to your gut symptoms. It is one tool that can be used to learn more about your body.

But, the low FODMAP diet can be quite restrictive and should only be commenced with the guidance of a Dietitian that is trained in the area. This is because cutting out all the foods containing FODMAPs can cause us to miss out on a lot of valuable nutrients and has the potential to make gut symptoms worse.

To learn more about the low FODMAP diet, read our blog here written by our Gut Health Expert Dietitian, Danielle Bell.

In the meantime, you may like to keep a food and symptom diary to see if you notice any patterns in your eating and experience of symptoms.

  1. Practice regular stress management

Studies have consistently shown that stress has a significant impact on our gut health. Specifically, it has been found to make the nerve endings in our digestive tract more sensitive, causing a greater level of discomfort in response to the distension in our gut that is associated with bloating.

Try and create some strategies that help you alleviate feelings of stress. Some examples include participating in enjoyable movement such as yoga, making time for leisurely activities or guided meditation.

  1. Increase fibre & fluids

Slowly increasing your intake of fibre and fluids can help to prevent constipation. When we get backed up, the volume of gas in our digestive tract increases, leaving us feeling bloated. Try incorporating some additional vegetables, grainy breads and cereals, fruit and beans and legumes to keep your digestive system happy & healthy. Most adults should aim for ~30g of fibre per day and 8-10 cups (2-2.6L) of fluids.

  1. Walking

Some people might find that having too much fibre can worsen their constipation and/or bloating. If this is the case, try going for a leisurely walk. Studies have shown that walking regularly, even 10-15 minutes can help to get things moving during digestion.

  1. Take the time to enjoy your meal

Slowing down and chewing your food well can help to limit the amount of air we take in as opposed to eating quickly. Slowing down and chewing your food will also help with your overall enjoyment of food – enjoying the taste and texture of each mouthful.

  1. Probiotics

Probiotics are living, beneficial microbes that contribute to a happy & healthy gut. They are naturally found in a range of foods including yoghurt with live cultures, kefir, fresh kimchi, sauerkraut and kombucha. They all have varying strains and amounts.

Try slowly incorporating a source of probiotics and see if it is helpful for you. If you are considering supplementing, it is best to speak with your Dietitian or Doctor to choose a probiotic strain that will suit you best.

If all else fails, consult a professional! Find a Dietitian that specialises in Gut Health to help you get to the bottom of your concerns.

Our Gut Health Expert Dietitian, Danielle Bell is available for private consultations online and in-clinic. You can make an appointment by contacting us here or calling 0499 888 801.

3 things you can try for your PCOS (without cutting food groups)

PCOS Nutrition

3 things you can try for your PCOS (without cutting food groups)

If you, or someone you might know, is living with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, you may be familiar with some of the symptoms: 

  • irregular menstrual cycles 
  • fertility issues 
  • weight cycling 
  • insulin resistance 
  • fatigue and inflammation 
  • “hanger” 
  • poor body image 
  • depression 
  • anxiety 

Just to name a few.  

While unfortunately not all sunshine and daisies, we do have some good evidence to support some small and simple nutrition changes, that are really quite impactful.  

And most excitingly, nutrition changes that do not require the cutting of food groups or a strict meal plan. A must here at Glow HQ.  

  1. OMEGA 3 Fatty Acids 

Helpful for: inflammation, fatigue, ovulation, insulin resistance 

Omega 3 fatty acids have been found to support ovulation and to help reduce insulin resistance (6). Their anti-inflammatory powers also mean they help manage the stress your body is trying to cope. 

Omega 3 can be found in: 

  • Oily fish e.g. salmon, tuna, sardines, snapper, barramundi, trout 
  • Canola Oil, Olive Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Flaxseed oil 
  • Walnuts, Hazelnuts, Pecans, Pinenuts, Pistachio 
  • Chia Seeds,­­ Linseeds 

Supplementation: 

Many people living with PCOS may require a therapeutic dose of Omega 3 to support overall health and wellbeing, meaning they may require a supplement. In this case, it is best to speak to your Dietitian about the best dose and brand for you.  

  1. INOSITOLS 

Helpful for: insulin resistance, carbohydrate metabolism, hanger 

Inositols are a form of B-vitamin found in grains, beans and nuts and fruits. They have been found to support how our bodies use insulin, as well as how they metabolise carbohydrate. 

While inositols can be naturally found in our diet, best practice recommends a 40:1 ratio of two types of inositol.  

Myo-Inositol 

D-Chiro Inositol  

Speak to your Dietitian about the best ratio and brand for you. 

  1. PROTEIN + Protein Timing 

Helpful for: inflammation, insulin resistance, “hanger” 

You may find that eating slightly more protein each day than other individuals of the same age and size works best for you. While the research is still developing in this area, it seems that having some protein in your meals and snacks can help those with PCOS improve their sensitivity to insulin, help combat inflammatory processes and prevent that all too common” hanger”.  

Starting recommendations include aiming for: 

>5g protein per snack 

>20g at meals  

And at least 10-20g at supper 

Protein sources include: 

  • Poultry 
  • Red meat 
  • Fish 
  • Eggs 
  • Legumes and lentils 
  • Dairy e.g. yoghurt, cheese, milk 
  • Nuts and nut butters 
  • Protein powders and bars 

If you’re looking for more support, reach out to one of our Accredited Practising Dietitians here.