What are Nutrients?

Nutrients are chemicals that are essential to life and that come from the food that we eat. There are more than 40 nutrients in food, and these can be classified into six groups:  

Carbohydrates
Protein
Vitamins
Minerals
Fats
Water

Nutrients have numerous roles within the human body. They provide valuable energy, allowing the growth and repair of tissues, and regulating the necessary chemical processes (activities) that take place in the body.
 

I have a busy lifestyle and can not eat 5/6 times a day. Are protein shakes or meal replacement shakes suitable as ‘in between’ meals?

You can not beat wholesome foods for quality vitamins and minerals. However Mother Nature is not always consistent in her allotment of these important micro-nutrients in foods these days, therefore by skipping meals you may not be getting the proteins, vitamins and minerals you need for optimum health. Pharmaceutical grade meal replacement shakes are an excellent way to balance out a busy lifestyle plus adding in the additional minerals and vitamins, proteins and essential fatty acids your body requires. Remember though, supplements are exactly that, they ‘supplement’ a healthy eating plan and shouldn’t be solely used as a replacement for whole foods. Consult with Newlives Nutrition for your individual requirements.

 
How does exercise help reduce body fat? 

Exercise assists the body in burning extra calories that have been consumed throughout the day. The rate at which a calorie is burned depends on your weight and the intensity at which you work out. Generally a few hundred per hour you exercise. Frequent exercise and moderate food intake can add up to a significant decrease in fat. (You need to expend 8,000 calories to lose 1 kg of fat) Over time, an exercise program and a healthy eating program raises your resting metabolic rate (your ‘internal furnace’ at which you expend calories) this in turn enhances your ability to burn fat.  Also, a regular exercise and a calorie controlled eating plan can make you less prone to overeating. Allow Newlives Nutrition to specifically calculate your calorie requirements to maximise your weight loss or weight gain goals
 

I find it hard to gain weight? 

Gaining weight (or increasing Lean Muscle Mass) for some people can be difficult. To gain weight, you have to consistently eat more calories, still taking into consideration the quality of the food you are eating. You need to perform muscle-building exercises and make sure you have ample rest and recuperation, this is important so your body has time to repair lean muscle tissue and grow bigger. Proteins and Carbohydrates play an important role in over all weight gain as do essential fatty acids, like Flaxseed Oil and its solid form, LSA (Linseed, Sunflower and Almonds)
You can also eat extra snacks and larger portions at meals. Specific weight gaining meal replacement shakes and protein drinks are a great way of increasing your weight and adding additional calories to you overall meal plan. Whether you are gaining muscle or losing fat, don’t guess your calorie / protein / carbohydrate and fat intake and make sure you get a body composition test every 3 weeks to ensure you are moving in the right direction. I can design for your body, tastes and lifestyle a plan that suits you! 

 
Do I need to consume multi-vitamins and anti-oxidants? 

JAMA June 2007 “It appears prudent that every Adult needs to take a good multi-vitamin supplement daily” This was a stated in one of the most respected medical journals, The Journal of American Medical Association.. It is impossible to get your full spectrum of vitamins and minerals from the food we eat today. Alongside a balanced diet it is imperative you take a pharmaceutical grade Multi-Vitamin and Mineral which will assist the body in maintaining optimal health. 
 

I’ve been told to avoid carbohydrates after 2pm as it makes you fat, is this true? 

There is no reason to avoid carbohydrate after 2 pm. These are myths that a lot of people want you to believe…for whatever reason. The body gains weight when the body takes in more calories than it expends. Carbohydrate, protein, fat and alcohol all provide the body with calories. Therefore you will gain weight if you consume an excess of any of these nutrients with no exercise.  Popular commercial weight loss diets usually employ a number of 'rules' which sound scientific but are actually just a way of causing you to reduce your food intake, therefore your overall calorie intake.  You do not want to restrict your carbohydrate intake by too much unless you are working with a Nutritionist as he or she will make sure you are getting the nutrients and energy bearing food you require. Be careful with commercially made up diets that deprive you of carbohydrates and other vital nutrients your body craves.
 

I exercise a lot therefore do I need to drink water or sports drink? 

Being “hydrated” means maintaining your body’s fluid level. Whether you drink water or sports drinks are a matter of choice and depending on how muscular you are; 60-70% of your body weight is water. When you sweat, you lose water and sodium which must be replaced if you want to stay hydrated, perform better and become less catabolic (muscle loss during exercise). You need to drink fluids before, during and after all workouts and events. It’s not uncommon to lose 1-2 litres of sweat in an intense cardio session; therefore you need to replace these losses. Water is naturally the best replacement however sometimes sports drinks can offer more replacement carbohydrates which help replace lost glycogen stores within the muscle. However most contain an overload of refined sugars. Good rule of thumb is to drink 2 litres of water per day plus an additional litre for every hour you exercise. After any sporting event, avoid alcohol until you are hydrated, as alcohol can dehydrate you.


 Do diet teas work? 

Diet teas often contain natural diuretics, which in turn remove sodium and water from the body. If you lose weight, it will only temporarily remove water weight and not fat.
 

I eat a lot of 98% fat free food and exercise, why do I not lose weight? 

This is another popular question; there could be a multiple of answers for this one. In a nut shell, by law these products when they state 98% fat free, the fat content of the product needs to be 2% of the overall calories. If the product is very high in calories then you may be getting in a reasonable amount of fat calories. However what a lot of people see is that the product is low in fat, however they tend not to look at the carbohydrates. Depending on the product it may all be sugar. If you do not expend this additional energy calories then it may well be converted in the body and stored as a fat making your 98% fat free product not so fat free after all.
 

I’ve eliminated all fats from my diet, why can’t I lose weight?
 
Just because the scale isn’t moving doesn’t necessarily mean you aren’t losing fat. You could be gaining muscle but without a body composition test (commonly known as a fat test) you may not know. Your overall calories maybe responsible for your lack of fat loss, or it could be your energy expenditure throughout the day. Don’t try and completely eliminate all fat from your diet as it may be detrimental to what you are trying to achieve. Fats play an important role in your body and a diet with essential fatty acids may be of benefit. Try to limited or keep away from saturated fats and trans fats; these are the bad fats that are responsible for numerous degenerative diseases.