13th June 2019
Orange

The Truth About Dieting

Hands up who’s been on a diet? Hands up who regained most of the weight they lost? It’s not that we have suddenly started to defy the laws of thermodynamics, such that eating fewer calories than your body needs can no longer result in weight loss although to be fair, post 40, it can feel like it! Diets work, whether it’s the cabbage soup diet or simply healthy eating but only while you are on them. What happens when the diet stops is critical. Have we, as a nation, succumbed to a population collapse of willpower? Do we give up and settle for a life of jam doughnuts and wine (I mean, I’m game!)? Or do we need to rethink […]
25th April 2019
Claire Baseley

The truth about protein supplements

You can’t move in health food shops, supermarkets, sports shops and definitely not on Instagram for people shoving protein powder at you from every angle. From bodybuilders and fitspo queens to endurance athletes and over 50s, it would seem that everyone can benefit from protein supplements. Or can they? What’s the truth behind the hype? Does anyone really need a protein supplement? I’ll level with you, I do use a protein supplement but I will be the first to tell you that you don’t need one. Sound contradictory? Well maybe but hear me out first. Supplements are just that. If you eat a reasonably balanced diet, you don’t need supplements (apart from maybe a vitamin D supplement in winter). But, […]
23rd January 2019
high protein foods

The truth about protein and who really needs it most

If you thought protein was just for body builders then think again! The real benefits of a higher protein diet have nothing to do with sculpting the perfect physique and focus on long term health and not superficial aesthetics. Think of a high protein diet and the mind tends to jump to muscle-bound, bicep-kissing young men, flexing their physiques on Venice Beach. The explosion of ‘fitspiration’ images on social media where girls try to maximise the booty to waist ratio and guys aspire to develop a defined 8 pack, potentially at great cost to physical and mental health, has positioned protein as the nutrient of the body beautiful. Moreover, the recent explosion of protein products on the market, from Protein […]
17th August 2017
protein

In defence of protein

Lately, I’ve seen a fair few articles raising concerns over the amount of protein in our diets.  In fact, I googled “Are we eating too much…” and the most popular predicted next words were “protein” and “meat”.  Are we really eating too much protein?  How much do we really need?  Do some people need more?  Does it really damage our kidneys and bones and give us cancer?  Here’s the lowdown on all things protein-based.   Quality AND quantity   Protein is one of the three macronutrients (the other two being carbohydrate and fat).  It’s made up of smaller units called amino acids, of which there are around 20, with 9 being essential in the diet as our body cannot make […]