Monthly Archives: January 2015

How many calories?

January 27, 2015 – 1:01 pm

So how does a diet of about 1100-1200 calories a day sound to you? Possibly a bit restrictive? Like you might go hungry? Impossible? Whatever it is for you HOLD THAT THOUGHT!

Did you see an article in the press recently about foods and snacks that contain a massive 2000 calories? If not here it is! We are now surrounded by readily available foods and snacks that contain so many calories it’s mind-blowing. And we have completely lost sight of what is normal/reasonable/do-able?

Take a ‘treat’ at Costa as an example – you have to love that they are very open about the calorific values of their products – menu attached here:

1 Chai Latte massimo size (667 calories) and 1 portion Layered Carrot Cake – well carrots are vegetables right? (617 calories) – that’s a whopping 1284 calories and it’s only a snack!!

1 Raspberry & White Chocolate Cooler medio size (517 calories) and 1 Raspberry & Almond Square – well fruit and nuts are good right? (445 calories) – that’s a calorific-budget-blowing 962 calories!!

1 Long Jing Green tea (5 calories) and 1 Mini Rhubarb & Custard Tart (133 calories) – a manageable now-and-again-treat at 138 calories!

It’s all about choices…and being a little bit savvy.

So that 1100-1200 calories-per-day-diet? What’s it to be?

This?:

(actually one large burger & fries blows the budget slightly at nearly 1300 calories!)
Slide1

Or this?:

Slide2

Because, believe it or not, these menus are both about the same number of calories.

To begin to find out how you can enjoy 4 or 5 plates of food, together with a hot chocolate drink, each day sign up for the next FREE RebalanceDiabetes seminar – click here!

By rebalancediabetes | Posted in diabetes, healthy eating, junk food, RebalanceDiabetes, the 6 diet, Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes, weight loss | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

How do you define ‘pre-diabetes’?

January 16, 2015 – 4:41 pm

health choicesI’m working with a lady at the moment who had a recent HbA1c reading of 41 mmol/mol. Her G.P. says this is fine, and hasn’t arranged any follow up checks or given her any specific dietary advice.

What she is astute enough to know is that 41 mmol/mol might be considered fine in the UK, but that view isn’t shared everywhere. In several other English-speaking countries she would now be diagnosed as ‘pre-diabetic’.

With Type 2 diabetes featuring in her family history my client has decided to act now. She isn’t diabetic, but nor does she want to become diabetic!

The thing I want to explore today is exactly how ‘pre-diabetes’ is defined. The most consistent definition is explained in words, typically as a state in which some signs/symptoms of diabetes are present, crucially impaired glucose tolerance or insulin resistance, but not all. There is no consensus in how you might objectively measure pre-diabetes – it’s a grey area!

More and more HbA1c is being employed as a measure for diagnosis, but different countries fail to agree the thresholds that mean someone has now become pre-diabetic.

In the UK we consider anyone with a HbA1c measure below 42 mmol/mol (7mmol/L or 6%) is normal. Between 42 and 47 indicates pre-diabetes, and 48 or above is actual diabetes.

In the USA the thresholds are decidedly lower. Normal is defined as below 5.7% – equating to 38.8mmol/mol or 6.5 mmol/L. Pre-diabetes starts at this level and has an upper threshold of 6.4% – or 46.4 mmol/mol, or 7.6 mmol/L. Actual diabetes is the USA is diagnosed at a level of 6.5% or above – i.e. above 47.5 mmol/mol or 7.8 mmol/L.

New Zealand defines pre-diabetes between 41 – 49 mmol/mol, and actual diabetes above 50 mmol/mol.

So  EXACTLY when someone is considered OK, or diagnosed as pre-diabetic or actually diabetic is not an exact science it seems. Is it better to be safe than sorry as my new client has concluded? If you think so too then sign up now for a FREE seminar to find out more about how RebalanceDiabetes could help you avoid diabetes in 2015!

By rebalancediabetes | Posted in diabetes, Education, healthy eating, RebalanceDiabetes, Type 2, Type 2 diabetes | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (0)

How to make your New Year Resolution a roaring success!

January 14, 2015 – 5:01 pm

happy-new-year-2015-gold-1380The Telegraph recently carried an article that claims January is the worst month of the year to start a new diet or fitness routine. I couldn’t agree more!

Logically we are on a hiding to nothing if we try to make a one-step change from all the excesses of December to, what is often, a somewhat ascetic approach to life in January. It just doesn’t make sense. We have a hoard of goodies left over from the Christmas and New Year festivities – and even if we resist our own stash of sugar, some kind person will bring their surplus sugary stuff into the office in the hope that everyone else will consume it for them! We have the after-party emotional anti-climax to deal with while we get back into our usual routines – oh joy then to think of a spot of self-deprivation! And to top it off we’re in the middle of winter with not a hint of spring in sight – yet we fool ourselves that we are going to stick to the occasional cold lettuce leaf or yoghurt when what our bodies actually need to thrive is hearty warming winter food (think soups, stews and casseroles!)

So it really shouldn’t come as a surprise that a whopping 92% of new year diet and fitness resolutions fail within just a few weeks. Like the ohso short-lived new year fireworks, they might start dazzling well but they’ll quickly fizzle out!

taipei-cnySo could there be a valid reason why Chinese New Year happens in the middle of February? You bet!

The snowdrops are out, and the crocuses, daffodils and tulips are well on their way. The trees are showing a touch of new green colour. With our own sap rising we start to truly feel that spring is indeed on its way! With winter on its way out we experience hopeful anticipation for the rest of the year ahead. As the nights get much more noticeably lighter we even spring-clean our homes in readiness for a fresh start.

THIS is a great time to start a new diet and fitness routine, as the Telegraph article confirms.

The Chinese have always thought so – so why has it taken us a few thousand years to finally come to the same conclusion? Hmmm!?

So what about January? Well it’s a fantastic time to make our resolutions and plans for a positive change – starting in February! It’s a fantastic time to get our ducks in a row to ensure real success as spring approaches. It’s a great time to research how and what changes we’ll make.

It’s no accident that the next FREE RebalanceDiabetes seminar is most timely on 26th January 2015. If you are determined to make a successful positive change for you and your health then this is especially for you! I’ll give you lots of help to decide how you can spring to success in the Chinese Year of the Goat.

If there’s one action you can still usefully take in January it’s to BOOK HERE NOW!

By rebalancediabetes | Posted in diabetes, Education, healthy eating, junk food, RebalanceDiabetes, sugar, the 6 diet, weight loss | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments (0)