Easy food swaps to a healthier you!

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Julie Masci. 3 comments

To have healthy eating habits doesn’t have to be quite as complicated as you may think. There are some tasty and really simple swaps you can do to achieve it.

One very simple swap, which I use every day, is instead of having butter or margarine, swap it for a thin spread of avocado – cheaper and definitely tastier!

Snacking on a healthier option can sometimes seem impossible with all the quick and easy fixes around, especially when you’re in the office and you spy the cookie jar!  But instead of having that biscuit swap it for some fruit, a cup of tea or a handful of natural nuts which are high in essential fats and a good source of fibre.

Some other really simple swaps you can do are;

• having wholegrain bread instead of white bread
• swap the ice cream after dinner for a low fat yoghurt you’ve frozen yourself or a fruity sorbet – lemon tastes amazing!
• have a natural untoasted cereal rich in wholegrains and fibre
• having cut up celery, carrot or capsicum with a salsa instead of a dip and crackers
• instead of getting a large coffee, get a small one – and make it on skim!
• swap a packet of lollies for a small punnet of berries such as blueberries as they can help protect your heart and improve your cholesterol
• swap a handful of potato chips for a small bowl of plain popcorn and season it with something like cinnamon to give it a little flavour
• for breakfast, make a smoothie instead of having buttered toast

 Here is a great recipe using blueberries that I found on the Australia Blueberry Growers’ Association,

Ingredients:

• 1 cup reduced fat milk
• 125g punnet fresh blueberries
• 1 mango, peeled and chopped
• ¼ cup reduced fat plain yoghurt
• 2 small mint leaves

Method:

1. Place milk, blueberries, mango, yoghurt and mint into a jug. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Note: Mango can be replaced with other seasonal fruits such as bananas or
peaches which complement blueberries perfectly.

It is easy to make swaps toward a healthier you!  For even more great ideas, visit the ‘Swap It’ website.  Start to make the swap today!

Recipes. (2012). Retrieved July 15, 2012, from http://www.australianblueberries.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11:blueberry-and-mango-smoothie&catid=1:recipes&Itemid=37

Swap tips. (2012). Retried July 17, 2012, from http://swapit.gov.au/ways-to-swap/swap-tips#morning-nutrition

This entry was posted in Nutrition; tagged Diet, Dietitian, easy nutrition, food, healthy, new life nutrition, Nutrition, swap it.

QUINOA – The superfood supergrain

Posted on July 1, 2012 by Julie Masci. No comments

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is a grain-like seed that is becoming more and more popular in recent times – and for good reasons!  It is a perfect grain for vegetarians, as it is high in protein and essential amino acids (higher in protein than any other grain in fact!), as well as fibre, iron and calcium. Even better it is gluten free – making it perfect for people with coeliac disease or those following a low FODMAPs diet.

Quinoa is a tiny grain thatcooks up like rice and has a mild, nutty flavor and a light, fluffy texture similar to couscous.  It can be used in a variety of dishes, from breakfasts to dinners to desserts. Make it into a porridge with nuts and berries, treat it as an alternative to rice for dinner, or use quinoa flour in your baking.  Quinoa can be found in the health food aisle of your supermarket as well as health food shops.

Here are a couple of recipes to get the ideas flowing:

Quinoa porridge:
2 cups quinoa flakes
4 cups of water (or milk)
Pinch of salt (if desired)
1/2 cup sultanas
1 grated granny smith apple
Ground cinnamon – just a little
Maple Syrup - just a splash

Add 2 cups of Quinoa flakes to 4 cups of rapidly boiling water (can use milk or apple juice instead).
Add a pinch of salt (if desired) reduce heat and cook for 5-10 minutes.
Towards the end add 1/2 cup sultanas, 1 grated granny smith apple and a dash of cinnamon.
Drizzle with maple syrup and a little milk, add some diced nuts or slivered almonds and fresh berries and enjoy! Serves 4.

Quinoa and zucchini salad with marinated chicken

1 cup (200g) white quinoa
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 long red chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped
4 chicken breasts
1 zucchini, sliced lengthways into thin ribbons (a mandoline is ideal)
250g punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
100g feta, crumbled

1. Place quinoa and 600ml water in a pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes or until quinoa is tender and the water is almost absorbed. Drain well and allow to cool.
2. Meanwhile, place lemon zest, 2 tbs oil and half the chilli in a bowl. Add chicken, season and toss to coat. Place chicken in a pan over medium heat and cook, skin-side down, for 4-6 minutes until skin is golden and crisp. Turn, and cook for a further 6-8 minutes until cooked through. Rest, loosely covered with foil, for 2 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, whisk the lemon juice with remaining chilli and 2 tbs oil. Season and set dressing aside. In a large bowl, combine the zucchini, tomatoes, feta and cooked quinoa. Pour over lemon dressing and toss to combine.
4. Divide quinoa salad among plates. Slice the chicken breasts, then arrange on top of the quinoa salad and serve.

This entry was posted in Hot Topics, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Recipes, Special Interest Nutrition, Weight Loss.

Low Carb Spaghetti Bolognaise

Posted on May 25, 2012 by Julie Masci. No comments

Serves – 4

1 onion, diced
2 cloves garli,c chopped
2 x 120g lean mince (try kangaroo!)
1 large carrot, grated
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1 x 500g jar low carb pasta sauce – Leggo’s spaghetti sauce with beef  OR  tinned tomato passata
6 green zucchini
6 yellow zucchini
1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
freshly ground pepper to taste
pinch of sea salt (optional)
light spray of olive oil (optional)

Directions

1. Saute the onion and garlic in a little water until softened. Add the mince and cook, stirring constantly for 5 mins, until browned. Add carrot and celery and cook for a further 5 minuted, adding a little water if necessary.
2. Stir through low carb pasta sauce. Cover and cook over low heat for 15 mins.
3. While sauce is cooking, use a potato peeler on the zucchini to create spaghetti
4. Just before serving, blanch zucchini in a pinch of sea salt (optional) and bring water to the boil for 1 min to heat through, then drain.
5. Toss with a light spray of olive oil (optional) and a tablespoon of the parsley.  Keep warm.
6. Season saute with pepper. Fold in the rest of the chopped parsley just before serving.
7. Divide zucchini spaghetti into serving bowls and top with bolognaise sauce.

OTHER IDEAS:

 ** Alternative to making spaghetti bolognaise is to make mince into a meatball mixture.  Add the below ingredients to the mince and roll to form meatballs.  Cook in a non-stick fry pan until becoming golden brown then continue at Step 2 to continue cooking meatballs in the tomato pasta sauce.

• 1 egg
• ½ onion, finely diced
• ¼ tsp garlic
• 1 tbsp psyllium husk
• pepper,
• rosemary
• basil
• thyme

** Alternative to zucchini is to use carrot, cabbage (prepared in the same way) or SPAGHETTI SQUASH.  Directions for preparation of spaghetti squash as below.  (This was inspired by my client Gill who gave me her home grown spaghetti squash!)

1. Prick the spaghetti squash all over with a skewer so it will not burst while baking.
2. Place whole squash in a shallow baking pan.
3. Bake in preheated 180*C oven for 1 hour.
4. When cool enough to handle, cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise with a serrated knife.
5. Scoop the seeds and fibrous strings from the centre of the cooked spaghetti squash
6. Gently scrape the tines of a kitchen fork around the edge of the spaghetti squash to shred the pulp into strands.
7. Cooked spaghetti squash is usually served with a sauce or gravy because the flesh is very bland in flavour.

This entry was posted in Nutrition, Recipes, Uncategorized, Weight Loss; tagged diabetes, Diet, food, Health, healthy, low carb, recipe, spaghetti, Weight Loss.

Crunch & colour – Beef, beet, lentil and walnut salad

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Julie Masci. 2 comments

My sisters and niece came over for a surprise home warming lunch at our new house and I had to whip something up rather quickly.  I found some leftover beef strips in thr fridge and so I tossed together this amazing salad.  It is a very well rounded salad with crunch and colour – plus it is very filling.  Love the lentils and walnuts for the fibre and protein, not to mention the antioxidant punch you will get from the coloured veg such as the beetroot, sweet potato, tomato and baby spinach.  The best thing yet, it tasted even better for lunch the next day.  Enjoy!

BEEF, BEETS, WALNUTS AND LENTIL SALAD

[gluten free, low carb, high protein; omit onion and garlic (infuse in oil), beetroot and lentils for low FODMAP option]

Cooking Time   15 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 500g beef fillet
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 medium red onion, halved, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 3 medium beetroot, trimmed  OR  425g can baby beets, drained, halved
• 400g can lentils, drained, rinsed
• 1/2 sweet potato, chopped
• 120g baby spinach leaves
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
• 75g feta cheese, crumbled
• 2 Roma tomatoes
• 1/3 cup walnuts
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Method

1. If using fresh beetroot:  Preheat oven to 200°C/180C°C fan-forced. Wrap each beetroot in foil. Place on a baking tray. Bake for 1 hour or until tender. Set aside to cool. Remove and discard foil. Wearing gloves, peel beetroot. Cut into 4cm pieces.
2. Heat small amount of oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan or chargrill over medium heat. Cook onion, stirring, for 5 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and 1 tbspn balsamic vinegar. Cook for 1-2 minute or until fragrant.
3. Add sweet potato.  Cook until tender.
4. Add lentils and beetroot. Cook, tossing, for 3 minutes or until heated through. Remove to a plate.
5. Add beef to frying pan. Cook beef until cooked to your liking. Remove to a plate to cool slightly.
6. Combine spinach, mint, feta, tomato and walnuts in a      large bowl. Thinly slice beef. Add to salad. Add beetroot and lentil mixture.
7. Combine vinegars and remaining oil in a jug. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over salad. Toss to combine. Serve.

This entry was posted in Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Nutrition, Recipes, Weight Loss; tagged antioxidants, beef, beetroot, fibre, fodmap, gluten free, healthy, lentils, lunch, protein, salad, walnut, Weight Loss.

Back to school ideas – Muesli Bars

Posted on January 18, 2012 by Julie Masci. No comments

I’ve had lots of requests from Mum’s for a healthy (and yummy) muesli bar to put in school lunchboxes.   These bars are very high in fibre while being relatively low in sugar (when compared to conventional store bought bars).  Also, the seeds provide a great source of omega-3′s for growing brains.  And as this recipe doesn’t have nuts (only seeds) they should be permitted in even nut free schools.  But don’t think this is just for kids, adults will absolutely love these too!

HEALTHY HOMEMADE MUESLI BARS

Makes 16

Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup desiccated coconut
• 1/2 cup wheatgerm
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup flaxseeds
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1/2 cup sunflower kernels
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• 1/2 cup sultanas
• 1/2 cup craisins
• 80 g reduced fat margarine
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup brown sugar

Method

1. Grease and line a 3cm deep, 16cm x 28cm (base) baking pan with baking paper. Cook oats, coconut, wheatgerm,  sesame seeds, sunflower kernels and pumpkin seeds in a frying pan over medium heat, stirring, for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a bowl. Set aside to cool. Stir in sultanas.
2. Cook margarine, honey and sugar in a  small saucepan over medium heat, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, without stirring, for 7 minutes or until mixture forms a soft ball when a little is dropped into ice-cold water. Add to dry ingredients. Stir until combined.
3. Spoon mixture into pan. Use a large metal spoon to press down firmly. Allow to cool. Cut into squares.  Store in a foil-lined airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days.

Note:

- If you prefer a harder bar, place in oven at 180*C for 5-10 minutes.

- Experiment with the flavour by changing the seeds and fruit.  For something a little more decadent, add dark chocolate bits through the mixture.

This entry was posted in Nutrition, Recipes; tagged energy, healthy, kids, lunchbox, muesli bar, Nutrition, seeds, snack.

Healthy Zucchini Rissoles

Posted on October 25, 2011 by Julie Masci. One comment

A deliciously healthy twist on an old family favourite! I love rissoles and these are just YUM!  Freeze rissoles for a quick dinners or lunch option - just pair them with a salad or vegetables to make the perfect meal. Make sure you always get the leanest mince possible and try chicken and turkey mince for something a little different.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 275g lean beef mince
• 1/2 small brown onion, grated
• 1 zucchini, grated, excess liquid squeezed out
• 2 tablespoons low-fat cottage cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon mild curry powder
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs
• olive oil cooking spray
• 500g butternut pumpkin, deseeded, peeled, chopped
• 1/4 cup skim milk, warmed
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1/4 cup low-fat yoghurt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons mango chutney
• 1 tablespoon mint leaves, finely shredded
• 4 corn cobs, steamed, to serve

Method

1. Combine mince, onion, zucchini, cottage cheese, curry powder, egg, 1/4 cup breadcrumbs and salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix until well combined. Divide mixture into 4 equal portions and shape into rissoles. Coat rissoles in remaining breadcrumbs and place on a plate. Refrigerate for 1 hour, if time permits.
2. Preheat oven and a baking tray to 200°C. Spray both sides patties with oil. Heat a large, non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat until hot. Cook rissoles for 2 minutes each side or until golden. Transfer to hot baking tray. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until cooked through.
3. Meanwhile, wash pumpkin and place, with water clinging, in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave on HIGH (100%) for 10 minutes or until soft. Drain and return to bowl. Add milk and season with salt and pepper. Mash until smooth, adding more milk if required. Stir in spinach. Cover and keep warm.
4. Combine yoghurt, chutney and mint in a small bowl. Divide mash between four plates. Top each with 1 rissole. Serve with yoghurt sauce and corn cobs.

(Source:  www.taste.com.au, 25 October, 2011)

This entry was posted in Nutrition, Recipes.

Foods that make you go zzzzz….

Posted on July 21, 2011 by Julie Masci. No comments

Anybody that knows me well, knows that I’m a fabulous sleeper. You say the word ‘sleep’ (or pyjamas for that matter) and I’m in la-la land. Despite my innate ability, not being able to get a good night’s rest is an issue that I find many of my clients struggle with on a regular basis. Not only are poor sleep patterns frustrating, but they can also affect our health and weight. Most of us know the feeling of being tired, but not enough shut eye on a regular basis can negatively affect our mood making us irritable, anxious and more prone to becoming depressed. It’s also been shown that inadequate rest slows down our brain activity including our ability to learn, remember things and concentrate while also reducing how we handle stress and maintain a healthy immune system.

Another important reason to get enough sleep is the effect that a lack of sleep has on our waistlines. It seems that when it comes to body weight, it may be that if you snooze – you lose (weight that is). Not sleeping seems to be related to an increase in hunger and appetite and as a result putting on weight. According to a number of recent studies, people who sleep less than six hours a day were almost 30% more likely to become obese than those who slept seven to nine hours. The current research has focused on the link between sleep and the hormones that regulate appetite.

Ghrelin is the hormone that stimulates hunger and leptin is the hormone that signals fullness to the brain and helps to suppress appetite. It seems that sleeping less is associated with a decrease in leptin (the satisfaction secret) and an increase in ghrelin (the hunger gremlin). Having said all this, not only does sleep loss make you hungrier, it also stimulates cravings for those ‘fatty’, ‘sugary’ foods like cakes, chocolate and biscuits to give you a boost of energy to keep you going during the day. Vicious circle.

There are a number of things to consider to help you get a restful night of shut eye and eating the right foods can certainly help you to fall asleep faster and improve the quality of your sleep.

 THE ‘NO NO’S’

1. Caffeine – Avoid any caffeinated beverages from 2pm, especially if you are sensitive to caffeine. This includes coffee, tea, energy drinks and coke. Also, don’t forget that chocolate also has caffeine in it (along with lots of sugar) so probably best to keep your intake of this to a limit also!
2. Large meal close to bed time – Heavy meals high in fat and calories less than three hours before going to bed rev up active digestion and can often leave you feeling uncomfortably full or, even worse, cause heartburn or reflux. Watch out for spicy foods for the similarly  aggravating effects they can have.
3. Processed  meats – They’re an easy choice for a quick meal but processed meats such as ham, bacon, sausages and smoked meats contain high levels of the amino acid tyramine, which stimulates the brain to give you a buzz.
4. All liquids 90 minutes before going to bed - It takes about 90 minutes for the body to process liquids, so limit liquids of any kind for at least 90 minutes before bedtime if the need to urinate wakes you up in the middle of the night.
5. Alcohol  – Do not use alcohol to help you fall asleep. Although alcohol may initially induce sleep, once it wears off, the sleep tends to be broken. Plus, alcohol generally makes you need to go to the loo through its dehydrating effect on the body which means you’ll probably be waking up to pee throughout the night.

THE GOODIES

1. Almonds -   Almonds contain magnesium which promotes both sleep and muscle relaxation, they have the added benefit of being high in protein which can help maintain a stable blood sugar level while sleeping
2. Banana  – Bananas are an excellent source of magnesium and potassium, which help to relax stressed muscles. They also contain tryptophan which is the amino acid that the body uses to make serotonin and melatonin – the hormones that slow down the traffic in your brain and make you sleepy. (Serotonin also helps to regulate your mood and appetite).
3. Dairy - Yogurt, milk and cheese contain tryptophan but they also contain another important nutrient – calcium. Calcium is a sleep-inducing vitamin as it relaxes muscles and nerves in the body but it also helps the brain use the tryptophan to manufacture melatonin. Makes a glass of warm milk the perfect little sleeping tablet!
4. Cherries – This yummy summer fruit have been shown to contain a significant level of the hormone melatonin which will help you to start feeling sleepier at night.
5. Porridge – The low-GI carbohydrates in a bowl of oats triggers the body to produce insulin which can speed up the release of serotonin leading to sleep. Plus the milk in it will have an added positive effect.
6. Tea – Yes, avoiding all caffeine in the evening is essential, but some herbal varieties can help get you into sleep mode. Chamomile tea is well known as a helpful and safe sleep aid and green tea (must be decaf) contains theanine which helps promote sleep.

SLEEPING PILL OR BEDTIME SNACK?

An all-carbohydrate snack, especially one high in added sugar is less likely to help you sleep. You’ll miss out on the positive effects of tryptophan and you may set your body off on the roller-coaster ride effect of plummeting blood sugar followed by the release of stress hormones that will keep you awake. The best bedtime snack is one that has both low GI (slowly released) carbohydrates, protein and some calcium.

For a good night’s sleep try:

• a glass of warm milk
• small bowl of traditional oats made on milk
• almond butter on a slice of grainy toast
• grainy cracker (like Ryvita) topped with a small slice of low-fat cheese
• low fat natural yoghurt with fresh or frozen cherries
• banana smoothie made on low fat milk

But keep in mind that it takes about one hour for the tryptophan in the foods to reach the brain, so don’t wait until right before bedtime to have your snack.

OTHER THINGS TO SNOOZE ABOUT…

1. Exercise – While exercise is good for you in many ways and can assist with relaxation, if it is done to close to bed time, it can actually stimulate your body too much to allow rest. This happens as a result of the endorphin/adrenaline rush of high intensity exercise and also because of a higher body temperature (a cooler body temperature promotes sleep). Best advice is to try to schedule your exercise in the morning or at least five hours before your scheduled bedtime (takes about that long for your body to cool down properly).
2. Stress – If you have a lot on your mind, consider keeping a journal next to your bed so you can scribble down any thoughts that won’t let your mind settle.
3. Tiredness - It might seem obvious but go to bed when you are tired. Don’t wait until Desperate Housewives is finished because there is a good chance that you will start to feel more awake again which will make it more difficult to get to sleep.

Let me know how you go with these tips and if anybody has any other tips that have worked for them, please feel free to comment below.

Sweet dreams!

Julie.

This entry was posted in Special Interest Nutrition; tagged Diet, Dietitian, fat, food, Health, melatonin, Nutrition, sleep, sleep deprivation, tryptophan, weight, Weight Loss.

Welcome to New Life Nutrition

Posted on February 13, 2011 by Julie Masci. One comment

Welcome to New Life Nutrition’s first ever blog post!

I am Julie Masci – an accredited practising dietitian and the director of a private practice in Brisbane.  From a proud Italian family, you can only imagine that I have been surrounded by food my entire life (and yes I am still struggling to convince  my father that olive oil doesn’t have its own food group). 

I am passionate about nutrition, health and wellbeing and as a result I use every ounce of energy I have educating and infusing the same enthusiasm into the patients I see.  Afterall, food isn’t just about eating – it’s about the thinking, the choosing, the tasting and most importantly the enjoying.  From this we get well nourished, happy and healthy people.  And this is what I plan to be blogging about in future – the ‘ins and outs of food and eating’.  I will of course also be posting my comments and views to recent nutrition topics in the media, reviews of new recipes and products I have tried as well as general banter about interesting topics that pop up (especially revolving about weight loss, nutrition myths, IBS and food intolerances).

I must admit that I am quite excited to finally be writing as it has been a long time coming.  As the Summer of 2011 comes to a close, new and exciting things are happening and I’m busting to share them.  Firstly, we have just launched our brand new website which can be found at www.newlifenutrition.com.au.  Please visit it and let me know what you think (…and if you need a web designer recommendation I have just the man for you – he is amazing to work with!).  On top of this, tweeting has also become ‘my new thing’ (@julie_masci) and I have met some amazing ’tweeps’ via this ever growing network.  Who would have thought that you could have nutrition and food discussions with complete strangers and experts in other states and countries – how the world of food has developed from the lowly afternoon cooking shows (sorry Huey).

Well that’s enough from me for now but expect to hear from me once to twice per week.  In the mean time, please following New Life Nutrition on Twitter or Facebook and let me know if there are any nutrition, health or food topics/products you’d like to know more about. 

I’m looking forward to sharing my life of nutrition with you.

Julie.

This entry was posted in Nutrition, Recipes; tagged Diet, Dietitian, Health, Nutrition, Weight Loss.