Hey Readers!
A few friends have been on a trial for Target Body Training's new healthy eating regime which includes a detox, moving into a paleo based diet named 'Restore yourself' diet! We have already seen incredible results and we are only 2 weeks in. These results have included weight shed and inches lost and so much more energy! I have been working closely with a great nutritionist; Hannah Rowan. Hannah heads up 'Food Stripped Bare'; you can find her at www.hovenutritionist.co.uk. She has shaped the diet plans in such a way that food is still tasty, fun and nutritious whilst you are shedding weight. Target Body Training will be launching this new way of eating so you can see for yourself how eating 'clean' can improve your overall health and drop those pounds.
In the meantime I asked Hannah to answer a few questions about the paleo diet to keep you going:
Hannah Rowan Dip ION, MSc
Hannah is a nutritional
consultant based in East Sussex, with a focus on sports nutrition and Baby Led
Weaning. After gaining her BA (Hons.) in European Studies and several years working
in London, she undertook the Nutritional Therapists Diploma Course at the
Institute for Optimum Nutrition in London, graduating with distinction in 2003.
Hannah started her first practice in London and was a nutrition advisor in a
well-known natural foods store but following a move to the USA, she returned to
study again, achieving a Master’s degree in Nutrition at Bastyr University, a
world renowned school of natural health from which she graduated in 2011. Hannah’s
MSc thesis on Baby-Led Weaning and its effects on the family diet was published
in the June 2012 edition of the peer-reviewed journal Appetite. On her return
to the UK Hannah started Food Stripped Bare Ltd.
Hannah’s passion
for whole-food nutrition and evidence-based practice forms the basis of her
philosophy. She is fully insured and a member of the British Association for
Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy (BANT). She is available for
consultation in person and via Skype. Although Hannah has worked with a wide
variety of clients and health concerns, her particular interests are optimum
sports nutrition for athletes and family nutrition (pre-conception and pregnancy
to weaning and beyond). Hannah is a single mum who enjoys blogging, exercise
(she has competed in triathlons pre-baby and currently
loves weight training and yoga), cooking and reading voraciously!
“Trust me, I know what it’s like to be under
pressure, running around like a crazy person trying to feed a family and stick
to a budget. My life experiences have given me a huge insight into the
challenges of eating healthily in difficult times, whether they’re emotional or
financial. My aim as a nutritionist is to use my knowledge and skills to help
my clients on the path to healthy eating and show them that it doesn’t have to
be expensive or difficult to eat well and that they can see real health
benefits from small changes in diet and lifestyle”.
What is the paleo diet?
According to
Loren Cordain PhD, the “father” of the Paelo Diet, it is based on eating unprocessed
foods such as those eaten by our hunter-gatherer ancestors during the
Paleolithic era (about 2.6 million years ago to the beginning of the
agricultural revolution, about 10,000 years ago). These foods include meats
(preferably free-range beef, pork, lamb, poultry, and game such as rabbit or
venison), fish, seafood, fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and oils (olive,
coconut, avocado, macadamia, walnut and flaxseed). However, dairy products,
grains, legumes (dried beans), refined sugars and processed foods were not part
of the “paleo” diet.
What are the benefits of a paleo diet?
Like many
subjects in nutrition, the Paleo diet is not without controversy and I’m not a
Paleo die-hard! However, as a template for eating well, Paleo has a lot going
for it.
For a start
the plan gets rid of processed foods: whatever your food philosophy, we all
know that the modern diet contains far too much processed food full of sugar,
white flour and hydrogenated fats. By eliminating grains, dairy and sugar, the
Paleo diet is very low in processed foods. In addition, the carbohydrates eaten
on a Paleo plan (sweet potatoes, vegetables, fruit) often have a lower
glycaemic index than grain-based products and therefore have a lower impact on
blood sugar levels. Fluctuating and consistently high blood sugar levels may be
implicated in conditions such as obesity and diabetes, so giving our bodies a
slow-release form of carbohydrates may improve blood glucose (sugar) profiles,
especially when combined with a moderately high protein and fat intake, which
tends to blunt the impact of carbohydrates within a meal.
Aside from
the benefit of eliminating processed foods, the Paleo-+ diet is also rich in
omega 3 fatty acids (anti-inflammatory and believed to be beneficial to
cardiovascular health), low in refined carbs and sugar, high in fiber, lower in
salt than a standard diet and rich in phytonutrients (plant chemicals with
wide-ranging health benefits).
Paleo and diabetes
People with
any chronic disease such as diabetes should check with their Dr before starting
a new diet. However, it has long been known that type 2 diabetes develops due
to lifestyle factors like a poor diet and obesity, so weight loss and eating a
healthful diet is vital to managing and preventing this condition. A
moderate-carb Paleo diet may reduce blood sugar fluctuations and may be able to
improve type 2 diabetes management, as demonstrated by this study. Type 1 (insulin dependent) diabetes is
another matter and diet can’t be used to resolve this condition. If you have
type 1 diabetes and wish to start a new diet, please talk to your Dr and
dietician.
Does it work for breastfeeding mums?
Breastfeeding
mums should have no problem with a Paleo-type plan as long as they ensure
they’re eating enough sources of calcium (including adding in some dairy products,
salmon, leafy greens, hummus, figs or calcium-fortified orange juice), eating
regular snacks, including gluten-free grains and drinking plenty of fluids.
My take on Paleo
The plan
I’ve put together isn’t strictly Paleo: for example, I’ve included some
gluten-free grains, a little dairy, some sweeteners (maple syrup and honey),
the odd “cheat” (dark chocolate and wine) and some processed foods such as whey
protein. I feel this balances the benefits of Paleo with the need to eat in the
“real –world”: budget restraints, problems with dining out and family
time. Hopefully I’ve achieved the best of both worlds in the 'Restore Yourself'
diet!
