NUTS, SWEETS AND NAUGHTY TREATS

My partner and I attended FitX last weekend (with my cousin Yuri) and for the most part, it was like rubbing salt in the wounds. The guys went nuts trying different drinks/ supplement concoctions etc whilst I was vicariously living through them and just having a sniff. Since I have started this competition training, my sense of smell has never been stronger. It was sensitive before but now it’s out of the roof. If I’m training with my Coach Ben in the mornings, we could be down one end of the gym and I can smell it when someone brings in fresh coffee into the reception area.

One of my favourite chocolate companies ‘PANA Chocolate’, all organic, raw, unrefined, hand-made in Melbourne, sourced from fair trade ingredients in Latin America were at FitX!  The awesome thing was, you could try every one of their delicious chocolates and have as much as you like! It felt like I was a child again, being scolded and had my treats taken away…. very sad on the inside, how silly. My partner Leonardo being the sweetheart he is, purchased 6 blocks (they’re the size of an outstretched hand mind you) to celebrate and eat after the comp (not at all once of course)! Now I look at them in the fridge every day with huge smile, like a child staring at their Christmas presents.

One treat I did allow myself to eat (which I didn’t need to worry about at all actually) was purple carrots with a Nut spread like Terra Madre’s ABC (Almond, Brazil Nut, Cashew) from Northcote, Woolies Macro Brazil, Cashew and Almond Spread, Mayver’s Peanut & Coconut spread or even Loving Earth’s Coconut Paste. Let me make it clear that I have no affiliation with these companies I just truly love the taste of their spreads. Full of good fats and NO added sugar, oil or salt.  I simply cut the purple carrots into small pieces and add a small amount of spread on top. Simply delicious! I find that purple carrots aren’t as juicy or sweet as the orange kind.

PURPLE CARROTS- MORE BENEFITS FOR THE BRAVE

Did you know that carrots were originally purple? Not the orange ones we’re all used to.

Late last year I completed a super-interesting short course at RMIT called Food as Medicine. Let me share some interesting facts with you.

Pre-17th century, virtually all cultivated carrots were deep purple, almost black in colour. The modern day orange carrot can be attributed to Dutch farmers, who cross-bred various wild carrots. Health benefits of purple and orange carrots are quite similar; however purple carrots offer significantly greater benefits, in terms of their higher concentration of phenolics (especially anthocyanins).

Anthocyanins are the pigments responsible for the dark hue and skin colour. Include foods rich in anthocyanin to your diet and pack in a greater antioxidant punch! Antioxidants work by protecting your cells from destructive free radical damage. Studies have suggested that anthocyanins have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory agents, as well as preventing blood clotting, therefore heart disease too. They’re great to keep you regular as purple carrots contain mostly soluble fibre, which absorbs water in the digestive tract. As it passes through, it helps to lower cholesterol and stabilise blood sugar levels. Bear in mind though, the body can only absorb so much anthocyanins, so best to keep your servings small yet regular, without going overboard.

An organic grocer in the South Melbourne Market sells purple carrots at a reasonable price and Coles in South Melbourne sometimes has them (I actually asked their fresh produce manager about this and now they have a small, yet regular supply at a great price).

My awesome Coach Benjamin Siong at ASP
Who has the bigger guns? (clearly me...lol)

GOIN’ COCONUTS!

My Coach Ben said I must consume 2 tablespoons of coconut butter per day. I’ve been adding a spoon to black tea or coffee to make sure I consume enough. It creates an interesting ‘oily’ texture when drinking but tastes fine.  Coconuts have become fashionable nowadays, where people in Asian, Latin American countries and islanders have been consuming coconuts for centuries and reaping the rewards of this staple fruit.  I am going to share with you, some evidence behind the humble coconut and hopefully this encourages you to consider adding it/ more of it to your daily nutrition. There are way too many benefits to properly explain, so I’ll summarise just a few.

Coconut oil is one of the richest known sources of fatty acids, with almost 90% saturated fatty acid. But wait, this isn’t the artery clogging saturated fats you may be thinking of. They’re full of medium-chain triglycerides, which are metabolised completely differently and essential for heart health. Studies have suggested that coconut oil curbs your appetite and increases energy expenditure (helping you burn more fat and ultimately lose weight!). About 50% of the fatty acids contain lauric acid, so when digested, can kill pathogens like bacteria, fungi and viruses. For further information, refer to my reference list.

Coconut oil has no harmful or unpleasant side effects and is completely non-toxic to humans. For athletes, you really can’t go without it, as coconut oil to help you better absorb your vitamins, nutrients, minerals and amino acids, particularly calcium and magnesium. For IBS suffers like me, it seriously helped improve my digestion. Studies have suggested that coconut oil is also effective at reducing inflammation and supporting thyroid function. The benefits don’t stop there. Coconut oil is also a fabulously natural, organic and cheap skin moisturiser! I use it as a body moisturiser, as it softens my skins, relieving any dryness.

I’ll wrap this up as I can go on for ever about coconut oil. Let me leave you with a thought to ponder: Incidences of stroke and heart disease are virtually non-existent in Polynesian and Melanesian islands, which can be attributed to the very high consumption (over 50% of their dietary fat) derived from coconuts. For further information, refer to my reference list.

Take aways:

1)    Rewarding yourself gives you motivation. It helps to overcome discouragement and temptations. I chose to reward myself with something deliciously healthy like nut spread with purple carrots/coconut paste and treated myself to very painful remedial massages (sadistic, I know…). You can also reward yourself with a new fitness outfit, to show off your stronger, fitter body and increased confidence.

2)    Not all coconut oils were created equally. Choose an: organic, virgin coconut oil (NOT a refined one). It should smell and taste like coconut but not be overpowering and strong. If it smells roasted or smokey it has probably been exposed to a lot of heat and therefore may not retain as many nutrients. Similarly, if it’s odourless and neutral tasting then it’s most likely refined and treated (avoid). It lasts for at least 2 years and is excellent for cooking, with a higher smoke point than olive oil (therefore doesn’t turn rancid or oxidise when cooking with it at high temperatures).

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Reference List

Braun, L & Cohen, M 2010, Herbs & Natural Supplements, An evidence-based guide, 3^rd edn, Elsevier, Chatswood, NSW.

Kabara, J, J, Swieczkowski, D, M, Conley, A, J & Truant, J, P, 1972, ‘Fatty Acids and Derivatives as Antimicrobial Agents’, Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy, vol. 2, no.1, 23-28, retrieved 15 March 2014,<www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC444260/>.

Lindeberg, S & Lundh, B 1993, ‘Apparent absence of stroke and ischaemic heart disease in a traditional Melanesian island: a clinical study in Kitava’, Journal of Internal Medicine, vol. 233, no. 3, 269-275, retrieved 15 March 2014, <www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8450295>.

Prior, I, A, Davidson, F, Salmond, C, E & Czochanska, A, 1981, ‘Cholesterol, coconuts, and diet on Polynesian atolls: a natural experiment: the Pukapuka and Tokelau island studies’, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 334, no. 8, 1552- 1561, retrieved 15 March 2014, <www.ajcn.nutrition.org/content/34/8/1552.full.pdf+html>.

The George Mateljan Foundation, 2014, ‘Carrots’, The world’s healthiest foods, retrieved 15 March 2014, <www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=21>.