Australian Obesity

Obesity in Australia

Australia is the most obese country in the world.
Recent studies show that 47% of women and 63% of men are overweight or obese. Australians are at the point where it is almost more “normal” to have a weight problem than not.

Over the last decade as a nation, we have continued to gain weight. If the current trend continues, it is estimated that by 2011, 75% of Australians will be above their healthy weight range.

So why are we losing the battle of our waist lines and more importantly, how can we start to reverse this trend?

This website will hopefully inform and guide you through how to live a long and healthy life by maintaining a healthy weight. By educating people on the steps needed to have a healthy lifestyle, as a nation, we can get back to a healthy weight.

This website is also designed to motivate Australian’s by showing that living a healthy lifestyle does not have to be hard! You just need follow some rules, and maintain good habits.

BMI

How do you measure up?
Overweight people are supposed to be jolly. In reality, they have little to laugh about.
It is estimated that over 5% of Australian children under five are obese. This is already higher than the USA. Obese children are more likely to suffer from cardiovascular problems, asthma, diabetes, and abnormal foot stricture, as well as shortness of breath.

There are two categories for excess weight:
 Overweight : classified as being 10% above your ideal weight (based on your BMI )
 Obesity: classified as being 20% or more above your ideal weight.

To check how your current weight rates you need to complete a BMI test:

Calculation of Body Mass Index (BMI) = Weight (Kg)/ Height ² (m²)

Based on your BMI you may be classified as :
Underweight – BMI range 12-17
Healthy weight – BMI range 18-24
Over weight - BMI range 25-29
Obese – BMI range 30-42

Purpose- the Body Mass Index (BMI) gives you a medical rated indication of how your current weight rates on a scale from underweight right through obese. Our aim is to target eating habits and exercise to achieve a healthy weight where your BMI is between 18-24.

Equipment – what you will need to calculate your BMI
• Height measure
• Bathroom scales
• Calculator

Method:
1. Remove your shoes
2. Measure your height in metres - ___________m
3. Measure your weight in kilograms - ___________kg
4. Square your weight - _______m²
5. Calculate your Body Mass Index: Weight divided by Height₂

Graph: Your BMI and where you stand on the scales (overweight, healthy weight, underweight).

Think Positive

Losing Weight- Think Positive

“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going”

“Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me”

“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when we take our eyes off the goals”

“Don’t ask for a light load, but rather for a strong back”

“Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful”

“Change your thoughts and you change your world”

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a simple step”

Top Tips- Losing Weight

Top Tips – Losing Weight

 Reduce your overall carbohydrate intake, particularly sugars and starches.
 Reduce you carbohydrate intake as the day progresses
 Increase Protein intake
 Reduce your intake of saturated fat
 Eat sufficient amounts of good fat each day
 Eat five to six small meals per day
 Follow a structural resistance training program at least once every week
 Perform cardiovascular exercise before breakfast at least three times per week
 Wait an hour to eat after exercise (but no longer)
 Eat low glycaemic index foods in the morning, during the day and two or three hours before exercise.
 Reduce your food quantities as your day progresses
 Reduce you carbohydrate intake at night but never avoid them altogether
 Store food out of sight
 Attempt to eat carbohydrates and protein foods at each meal
 Add vinegar to foods to help lower their glycaemic index rating
 Do not leave open packets of snack foods in sight
 Take your own healthy snacks to work and school
 Try to break bad habits or routines. For example, avoid eating when driving , opening the fridge as soon as you walk in the front door, eating a biscuit with your coffee, eating food while watching TV, eating something sweet before bed.
 Avoid sugary drinks. Choose water or diet soft drinks.
 Avoid all deep-fried foods
 Cook extra portions at dinner for lunch the next day.
 Work on improving your danger eating times first
 Eat a small-carbohydrate, high-protein snack before going out for an evening meal. It will help you avoid eating bread prior to your entree or main meal, if you have not eaten for a number of hours and you are hungry.
 When eating takeaway rolls or burgers, open the sandwich and only eat half the bread.

Energy and Weight

ENERGY AND WEIGHT

Maintaining weight involves striking a balance between the energy we take in and the energy we use up.

Benefits of Exercise

Benefits of Exercise

Why bother about exercise and fitness anyway? For years, experts around the world have been studying the benefits of fitness. Researchers have compared fit groups of people with unfit groups, studied the changes in people who have become fit, and looked at the deterioration in people who have lost their fitness.

Research has found that the health benefits you gain by being fit are:
• Stronger muscles and bones
• Bigger heart and lungs
• Improved posture and appearance
• Greater resistance to illness and disease
• Improved Sleep
• Improved Self-Image
• Reduced stress and tension
• Less boredom
• Less fatigue
• More opportunities to meet and make friends
• Enjoyment from being part of a team.

In other words, you body works better and you feel better if you are fit. That’s why it is worth using some of your leisure time to improve your fitness.

Exercise

Why Exercise?
When we eat it provides energy for all our physiological functions, from blinking to sprinting. However if we put in more energy (eat) than we use (exercise), then we gain weight. So exercising is the healthy way to use up the food we eat. It keeps our organ systems healthy and provides us with many physiological benefits.

We all know we need exercise, but what activities will keep us fit and healthy and how often do we need to do them.

We're famous for being a sporting country, but how many of us Aussies live up to our energetic reputation? The bad news is that around 75 per cent of us aren't on the go enough to meet the minimum daily recommendation for exercise ... so here are some good reasons to get off the couch and start moving!

Including physical activity into our daily life can, among other things, substantially reduce the risk of certain cancers and cardiovascular disease. Exercise also gives us a sense of accomplishment, reduces levels of anxiety and depression, and makes us feel alive by increasing our awareness of the world around us.

Why do you need to exercise?
Do we really need to exercise? Sometimes even the thought of it seems hard. The truth of the matter is that you'll be a healthier person for it and not just in terms of cardiovascular fitness. Exercise prevents disease. As an active person, you're less likely to develop cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis, have a stroke or get certain types of cancers, such as colon and breast cancer. Physical inactivity is ranked just behind cigarette smoking as a cause of ill health.

How much exercise do you need?
Just how much exercise do you need to see these benefits? You certainly don't have to join a triathlon club – even moderate exercise such as regular walking or climbing the stairs can be protective no matter how late in life you start.

One thing experts agree on is that your exercise, at the very least, has to be moderately intense and has to be regular. The National Physical Activity Guidelines for Australians recommends at a minimum 30 minutes of moderate physical activity – like walking – on most days of the week. How do you know if you're being moderately active? A good test is to see if you can talk easily while you're exercising. If you can, you are exercising at a light to moderate level. Once your breathing makes it too hard to talk, you know you've increased the intensity of your workout!

One thing to remember is that the longer and more intensely you exercise, the greater the benefit. Researchers have found a positive correlation between the length and intensity of physical activity and the reduction in risk of coronary events such as heart attack.

But even short periods of light exercise and daily activities are beneficial if you want to prevent obesity and diabetes. New research shows that sitting around for long periods of time can increase your blood glucose levels – even if you fit a 30 minute session of exercise in – so stay active and complement your 30 minutes of exercise with regular light activity.

If you haven't exercised for a while or you want to significantly increase your exercise level, it is advisable to speak with a health professional about designing an exercise plan. Many injuries are caused by exercising too much, too quickly, or by overuse.

What types of exercise are there?

There are three main types of exercise, each one has a different effect on your body:

• Aerobic exercise such as swimming or running increases your cardiorespiratory fitness and endurance. This is the capacity of your heart and lungs to supply oxygen-rich blood to your muscles so they can produce energy for movement over a sustained period.
• Flexibility exercises such as yoga and pilates improve the full range of motion of your muscles and joints.
• Resistance exercise such as weight-lifting increases your muscle strength by requiring your muscles to lift, push or pull against something. This type of exercise can also increase bone density and help prevent osteoporosis, which is important as you get older.

There are several different ways you can strengthen your muscles:
o Isotonic strength training – during this type of training your muscles shorten as they contract. For example when you flex your bicep muscle or do a sit up. This is the most common type of muscle contraction.
o Isometric strength training – during this training the muscle contracts, but the muscle length remains the same. This type of muscle contraction is popular with bodybuilders and occurs when you try to move an immovable object, like pressing against a door frame.
o Eccentric – this type of training is the opposite of isotonic training. Your muscles lengthen as they contract, for example when you run down hill.
o Isokinetic strength training – this is similar to isotonic training, except that your muscle contracts at an even speed, for example when your arm moves evenly through the water when swimming.

Choose the best exercise for you.

Getting fit
There are several parts to your all over fitness: your cardiorespiratory endurance, your muscular strength and endurance, and your flexibility. Chris Tzar, exercise physiologist from the Lifestyle Clinic at the University of New South Wales, says ideally your exercise regime for getting fit should work on all three types.

"You certainly need strength, cardiovascular endurance and suppleness, but the greater emphasis should be on cardiovascular fitness."

Cardiovascular
"In terms of health, cardiovascular fitness is one of the greatest predictors of mortality, and has the greatest impact on your ability to do day to day activities. It is recommended you do cardiovascular exercise from between three and five times a week, for either 20 minutes at high intensity or 45 minutes at a lower intensity."
You can test your progress by monitoring your heart rate during exercise. If you do the same exercise every week as a test, your heart rate should be progressively lower week to week as your fitness levels increase.

Strength training
Strength training should pop up in your schedule around two to three times a week. Tzar says the length of your session is less important than making sure you address all the major muscle groups, preferably during exercises that use them simultaneously.
"Strength exercises that use several parts of your body, rather than just isolating one part are better. You're better off mimicking activities that you find in daily living so they help you cope better."

"For older people, strength training is particularly important for bone density, maintaining muscle mass and preventing falls. It's also important in adolescence when your bones are developing their peak density because if you fill the tank up then, your bones will take longer to become osteoporotic in older age."

Flexibility
Tzar says flexibility is important for muscle balance, good posture and joint movement, and helps prevent orthopaedic issues later in life.
"If the muscles around your hip are too tight, for example, this can produce problems in the joint, and can cause the cartilage to wear away."

The ideal combination
Tzar suggests a combination of walking or jogging, cycling or swimming to increase your cardiovascular fitness, and strength training with either weights or doing callisthenic exercises at home or in the park. Callisthenics, like push-ups or chin-ups, use your body weight against gravity and don't require equipment so you can do them anywhere.
For flexibility, Tzar says it's important to do stretches that work on the muscle groups that have common problems with flexibility: the shoulder and chest area, the hips and knees, the back, as well as the gluteals, hamstrings and hip flexors.

Losing weight
Tzar says that getting fit and losing weight go hand in hand.
"But it's important to remember that it's body-fat loss, not muscle loss that's important for your health. If you just diet and don't exercise, a lot of the weight you lose could be muscle tissue and fluid."
It's also important to remember that both structured exercise, like going for a jog, and incidental exercise, like walking to the shops to buy dinner, are both important and you shouldn't increase one at the expense of the other, says Tzar.
"Some people might start driving to the shops because they're tired from exercise, and then find that their general physical activity levels haven't increased. Remember to keep taking the stairs because that kind of exercise is also really important."
So just how much exercise do you need to lose weight?
One important factor in losing weight is how you balance stocking up on energy and burning it off. If you're eating more than you burn off with your current amount of exercise, you're most likely putting on weight. If you do more exercise – so that you're burning more energy than what's in the food that goes in your mouth – eventually you'll burn off body fat.
If you're after a rough guideline, take the minimum daily requirement – 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week – and double or even triple it, depending on how frisky you're feeling. At 30 minutes a day you're protecting yourself against heart disease and other illness and at 60 to 100 minutes you'll be waving goodbye to those jiggly bits.

Fighting depression
Regular exercise can be an effective way to treat some forms of depression. Physical activity causes brain pleasure centres to be stimulated and leads to feelings of wellbeing. Exercise can also be an effective treatment for anxiety. Some research studies indicate that regular exercise may be as effective as other treatments like medication to relieve milder depression. Generally, exercise has a place in treatment as part of a comprehensive approach to the illness.

Healthy Eating- What you should be eating

An important aspect of nutrition is the daily intake of nutrients. Nutrients consist of various chemical substances in the food that makes up each person's diet. Many nutrients are essential for life, and an adequate amount of nutrients in the diet is necessary for providing energy, building and maintaining body organs, and for various metabolic processes. People depend on nutrients in their diet because the human body is not able to produce many of these nutrients—or it cannot produce them in adequate amounts.

Nutrients are essential to the human diet if they meet two characteristics. First, omitting the nutrient from the diet leads to a nutritional deficiency and a decline in some aspect of health. Second, if the omitted nutrient is put back into the diet, the symptoms of nutritional deficiency will decline and the individual will return to normal, barring any permanent damage caused by its absence.
There are six major classes of nutrients found in food: carbohydrates , proteins , lipids (fats and oils), vitamins (both fat-soluble and water-soluble ), minerals , and water. These six nutrients can be further categorized into three basic functional groups.

Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the major source of energy for the body. They are composed mostly of the elements carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O). Through the bonding of these elements, carbohydrates provide energy for the body in the form of kilocalories (kcal), with an average of 4 kcal per gram (kcal/g) of carbohydrates (a kcal is equivalent to a calorie on a nutritional label of a packaged food).

Carbohydrates come in a variety of sizes. The smallest carbohydrates are the simple sugars, also known as monosaccharides and disaccharides, meaning that they are made up of one or two sugar molecules . The best known simple sugar is table sugar, which is also known as sucrose , a disaccharide. Other simple sugars include the monosaccharides glucose and fructose, which are found in fruits, and the disaccharides, which include sucrose, lactose (found in milk), and maltose (in beer and malt liquors). The larger carbohydrates are made up of these smaller simple sugars and are known as polysaccharides (many sugar molecules) or complex carbohydrates. These are usually made up of many linked glucose molecules, though, unlike simple sugars, they do not have a sweet taste. Examples of foods high in complex carbohydrates include potatoes, beans, and vegetables. Another type of complex carbohydrate is dietary fiber . However, although fiber is a complex carbohydrate made up of linked sugar molecules, the body cannot break apart the sugar linkages and, unlike other complex carbohydrates, it passes through the body with minimal changes.

Although carbohydrates are not considered to be an essential nutrient, the body depends on them as its primary energy source. The body utilizes most carbohydrates to generate glucose, which serves as the basic functional molecule of energy within the cells of the human body (glucose is broken down to ultimately produce adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, the fundamental unit of energy). When the supply of carbohydrates is too low to adequately supply all the energy needs of the body, amino acids from proteins are converted to glucose. However, the typical American individual consumes more than adequate amounts of carbohydrates to prevent this utilization of protein.

Proteins
Proteins are composed of the elements carbon (C), oxygen (O), hydrogen (H), and nitrogen (n). They have a variety of uses in the body, including serving as a source of energy, as substrates (starter materials) for tissue growth and maintenance, and for certain biological functions, such as making structural proteins, transfer proteins, enzyme molecules, and hormone receptors. Proteins are also the major component in bone, muscle, and other tissues and fluids. When used for energy, protein supplies an average of 4 kcal/g.

Proteins are formed by the linking of different combinations of the twenty common amino acids found in food. Of these, ten are essential for the human in the synthesis of body proteins (eight are essential throughout a human's life, whereas two become essential during periods of rapid growth, such as during infancy).
Protein may be found in a variety of food sources. Proteins from animal sources (meat, poultry, milk, fish) are considered to be of high biological value because they contain all of the essential amino acids. Proteins from plant sources (wheat, corn, rice, and beans) are considered to be of low biological value because an individual plant source does not contain all of the essential amino acids. Therefore, combinations of plant sources must be used to provide these nutrients.
Protein deficiency is not common in the American diet because most Americans consume 1.5 to 2 times more protein than is required for the body to maintain adequate health. This excess intake of protein is not considered to be harmful for the average healthy individual. However, when protein intake is inadequate, but total caloric intake is sufficient, a condition known as kwashiorkor may occur. Symptoms of kwashiorkor include an enlarged stomach, loss of hair and hair color, and an enlarged liver. Conversely, if protein and caloric intake are both inadequate, a condition known as marasmus occurs. Marasmus presents with a stoppage of growth, extreme muscle loss, and weakness.

Lipids
Lipids, which consist of fats and oils, are high-energy yielding molecules composed mostly of carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O) (though lipids have a smaller number of oxygen molecules than carbohydrates have). This small number of oxygen molecules makes lipids insoluble in water, but soluble in certain organic solvents. The basic structure of lipids is a glycerol molecule consisting of three carbons, each attached to a fatty-acid chain. Collectively, this structure is known as a triglyceride , or sometimes it is called a triacylglycerol. Triglycerides are the major form of energy storage

The Food Guide Pyramid groups foods together based on their nutrient content. In theory, a diet designed around the pyramid will include all the essential nutrients that the body needs to thrive.
in the body (whereas carbohydrates are the body's major energy source), and are also the major form of fat in foods. The energy contained in a gram of lipids is more than twice the amount in carbohydrates and protein, with an average of 9 kcal/g.
Lipids can be broken down into two types, saturated and unsaturated, based on the chemical structure of their longest, and therefore dominant, fatty acid. Whether a lipid is solid or liquid at room temperature largely depends on its property of being saturated or unsaturated. Lipids from plant sources are largely unsaturated, and therefore liquid at room temperature. Lipids that are derived from animals contain a higher amount of saturated fats, and they are therefore solid at room temperature. An exception to this rule is fish, which, for the most part, contain unsaturated fat. The important difference between saturated and unsaturated fatty acids is that saturated fatty acids are the most important facto that can increase a person's cholesterol level. An increased cholesterol level may eventually result in the clogging of blood arteries and, ultimately, heart disease .
Not all fatty acids are considered harmful. In fact, certain unsaturated fatty acids are considered essential nutrients. Like the essential amino acids, these fatty acids are essential to a person's diet because the body cannot produce them. The essential fatty acids serve many important functions in the body, including regulating blood pressure and helping to synthesize and repair vital cell parts. It is estimated that the American diet contains about three times the amount of essential fatty acids needed daily. Lipids are also required for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, and they are generally thought to increase the taste and flavor of foods and to give an individual a feeling of fullness.

Vitamins
Vitamins are chemical compounds that are required for normal growth and metabolism . Some vitamins are essential for a number of metabolic reactions that result in the release of energy from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. There are thirteen vitamins, which may be divided into two groups: the four fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, and K) and the nine water-soluble vitamins (the B vitamins and vitamin C). These two groups are dissimilar in many ways. First of all, cooking or heating destroys the water-soluble vitamins much more readily than the fat-soluble vitamins. On the other hand, fat-soluble vitamins are much less readily excreted from the body, compared to water-soluble vitamins, and can therefore accumulate to excessive, and possibly toxic, levels. This means, of course, that levels of water-soluble vitamins in the body can become depleted more quickly, leading to a vitamin deficiency if those nutrients are not replaced regularly. Deficiencies of vitamins may result from inadequate intake, as well as from factors unrelated to supply. For instance, vitamin K and biotin are both produced by bacteria that live within the intestines , and a person can become deficient if these bacteria are removed by antibiotics . Other factors that may result in a vitamin deficiency include disease, pregnancy, drug interactions, and newborn development (newborns lack the intestinal bacteria that create certain vitamins, such as biotin and vitamin K).

Minerals
Minerals are different from the other nutrients discussed thus far, in that they are inorganic compounds (carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and vitamins are all organic compounds). The fundamental structure of minerals is usually nothing more than a molecule, or molecules, of an element. The functions of minerals do not include participation in the yielding of energy. But they do play vital roles in several physiological functions, including critical involvement in nervous system functioning, in cellular reactions, in water balance in the body, and in structural systems, such as the skeletal system.
Because minerals have a very simple structure of usually one or more molecules of an element, they are not readily destroyed in the heating or cooking process of food preparation. However, they can leak out of the food substance that contains them and seep into the water or liquid the food is being cooked in. This may result in a decreased level of minerals being consumed if the liquid is discarded.
There are many minerals found within the human body, but of the sixteen (or possibly more) essential minerals, the amount required on a daily basis varies enormously. This is why minerals are subdivided into two classes: macrominerals and microminerals. Macrominerals include those that are needed in high quantities, ranging from milligrams to grams. Calcium , phosphorous, and magnesium are macrominerals. Microminerals are those necessary in smaller quantities, generally between a microgram and a milligram. Examples of microminerals include copper, chromium, and selenium. Dietary requirements for some minerals have yet to be established.

Water
Water makes up the last class of nutrients, though the fact that it is considered a nutrient is surprising to many people. Water, however, has many necessary functions in the human body. Some of its actions include its use as a solvent (a substance that other substances dissolve in), as a lubricant, as a conduction system for transportation of vital nutrients and unnecessary waste, and as a mode of temperature regulation.
There are many available sources of water other than tap water and bottled water. Some foods have a high water content, including many fruits and vegetables. In addition, the body can make small amounts of water from various metabolic prcesses that result in molecules of water as a by-product. This, however, is by no means sufficient for the body's needs of water. It is generally recommended that people drink eight cups (or nearly 2 liters) of water a day to maintain an adequate supply.

Healthy Eating

Healthy Eating

We all know that eating can be a great pleasure. We don't just eat to survive – to many food can mean security, it can mean comfort, or it may be the way you express love.
Food is vitally important to how your body feels and ultimately how you feel about yourself. Unfortunately some eating habits create health problems. This can be avoided. But like all behavior, making changes to your eating habits can be hard at first - especially if you've been doing it for a long time, which is then more likely that you have developed some self-defeating attitudes. Talking with healthcare professionals can help you overcome your own barriers to good health.

This section covers a lot of the basics on how to make good food choices that don't leave you feeling deprived. You can start by measuring your Body Mass Index to see where you stand. Then you can go on to read why a healthy diet matters. After than there's information and tips on how to achieve nutritional wellbeing and to keep that healthy feeling.

Nutrition- Benefits of a healthy diet

WE ARE INDEED WHAT WE EAT!

The food we eat affects how long and how well we live. With the exception of alcohol and tobacco, your food choices influence your long term health more than any other factor within your control. But the choices are huge. Manufacturers introduce up to 20,000 new food products each year. The impact of food habits is evident in mortality statistics; 86% of deaths are a result of cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes (Bradford et al. 2007). A reduction in fat intake in the eating habits of the Western World would prevent millions of cases of heart disease and reduce health care costs by billions of dollars each year.

Your body can only be as healthy as the fuel it's fed. Rubbish in, equals rubbish out. Without adequate nutrition, the body will not be able to function as well as it might. This can mean poor concentration, low energy levels, and low immunity (more illnesses). Skin, hair, teeth, bones and muscles will not be as strong and healthy as they could be. Children may not reach their true height potential if they don't have adequate nutrition.

Overeating does not necessarily mean that the body is getting all the nutrients it needs. Quite often unhealthy food is substituted for necessary nutritious food, and so overweight people can suffer from poor nutrition - as well as the physical burden of excess weight.

Obesity is a major health problem as it increases the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and several cancers. Added to this, being obese can limit movement and in this way it can reduce social interaction which is necessary for emotional wellbeing.

This all sounds pretty negative. But of course the opposite is true. Eating a nutritious diet means all of these health issues can be avoided.
Even if you are quite overweight, keep in mind that every little bit helps. Weight loss of 1kg per month is a great achievement.

What to eat?
The Healthy Living Pyramid was developed to provide a simple guide to planning the types of foods we should eat and in what proportions. The pyramid represents food from the core food groups only. We all know though that at meal times, we don’t eat these core food groups alone, we combine several of them together. For example, we mix meat with vegetables to make a stew or casserole, eggs with milk and sugar to make custard or flour with oil, cheese, vegetables and meat to make a pizza. While the pyramid can’t possibly show all the different combinations, mixing foods, and adding herbs and spices to create flavours we enjoy, will help us to eat the food variety that we need, while keeping to the proportions outlined in the Pyramid.

The Healthy Living Pyramid encourages variety, minimum fat, adequate fibre, limited salt and adequate water to be balanced with physical activity. The ‘Move more' layer at the base of the Pyramid shows moving legs that add the concept of physical activity as being an essential link with eating.

The Layers of the Pyramid – from the bottom up

Move more
Every time we move we use up some of the kilojoules (or calories) that are in the food that we eat. The kilojoules that we do not use up in energy will be stored and changed to fat. ‘Move more’ reminds us that we need to balance the energy (kilojoules) that we take in with the energy we use. We eat daily so we need to be active daily.

Eat most
This base layer of foods includes only plant foods: vegetables, fruits, nuts, dried peas, beans and lentils, breads and cereals (preferably wholegrain). These foods contain many different nutrients and should make up most of the food that we eat. Eating a variety of these foods each day should provide good amounts of energy from carbohydrate, as well as protein, minerals, vitamins and dietary fibre. In other words these foods are nutrient dense (each food contains a lot of nutrients for each kilojoule that it provides).
Alongside the base is the symbol for water to encourage water consumption. 6-8 glasses each day is the recommendation. Smaller children need about 4-5 glasses of water.

Eat moderately
Foods in the middle of the Pyramid include fish, lean meat, eggs, chicken (no skin), milk, cheese and yoghurt. Eating a serving of meat, fish or eggs and three of dairy foods each day will provide protein, minerals (especially iron and calcium) and B vitamins.

Eat in small amounts
Sugars and fats are in this layer. These foods should be limited because they lack a good supply of the nutrients needed for growth, good health and quick energy. While small amounts of fats, oils and sugar are acceptable, larger amounts of these foods will cause an inadequately varied food intake. When choosing fats and oils it is better to choose the ones that have low levels of saturated fat and better levels of omega -3 fats. The Pyramid also suggests that salt should not be added to foods. By choosing a wide variety of foods the Healthy Living Pyramid (HLP) way we should consume all the nutrients and other food compounds that we need for good health. When we serve a meal the ‘Eat most’ foods should take up most of the plate, the ‘Eat moderately’ foods should take up a third or less of the plate, and there should be very little of the ‘Eat in small amounts’ foods. The HLP does not state how many serves we should have or the size of the serves but it does give an idea about the balance of foods we need to choose for good health. In order to maintain body weight, food eaten (energy in) needs to be balanced with physical activity (energy out).

Healthy Eating

Healthy Eating

We all know that eating can be a great pleasure. We don't just eat to survive – to many food can mean security, it can mean comfort, or it may be the way you express love.
Food is vitally important to how your body feels and ultimately how you feel about yourself. Unfortunately some eating habits create health problems. This can be avoided. But like all behavior, making changes to your eating habits can be hard at first - especially if you've been doing it for a long time, which is then more likely that you have developed some self-defeating attitudes. Talking with healthcare professionals can help you overcome your own barriers to good health.
This section covers a lot of the basics on how to make good food choices that don't leave you feeling deprived. You can start by measuring your Body Mass Index to see where you stand. Then you can go on to read why a healthy diet matters. After than there's information and tips on how to achieve nutritional wellbeing and to keep that healthy feeling

___________________________________________________________

Nutrition- Benefits of a healthy diet

WE ARE INDEED WHAT WE EAT!

The food we eat affects how long and how well we live. With the exception of alcohol and tobacco, your food choices influence your long term health more than any other factor within your control. But the choices are huge. Manufacturers introduce up to 20,000 new food products each year. The impact of food habits is evident in mortality statistics; 86% of deaths are a result of cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes (Bradford et al. 2007). A reduction in fat intake in the eating habits of the Western World would prevent millions of cases of heart disease and reduce health care costs by billions of dollars each year.

Your body can only be as healthy as the fuel it's fed. Rubbish in, equals rubbish out. Without adequate nutrition, the body will not be able to function as well as it might. This can mean poor concentration, low energy levels, and low immunity (more illnesses). Skin, hair, teeth, bones and muscles will not be as strong and healthy as they could be. Children may not reach their true height potential if they don't have adequate nutrition.

Overeating does not necessarily mean that the body is getting all the nutrients it needs. Quite often unhealthy food is substituted for necessary nutritious food, and so overweight people can suffer from poor nutrition - as well as the physical burden of excess weight.

Obesity is a major health problem as it increases the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and several cancers. Added to this, being obese can limit movement and in this way it can reduce social interaction which is necessary for emotional wellbeing.

This all sounds pretty negative. But of course the opposite is true. Eating a nutritious diet means all of these health issues can be avoided.
Even if you are quite overweight, keep in mind that every little bit helps. Weight loss of 1kg per month is a great achievement

What to eat?
The Healthy Living Pyramid was developed to provide a simple guide to planning the types of foods we should eat and in what proportions. The pyramid represents food from the core food groups only. We all know though that at meal times, we don’t eat these core food groups alone, we combine several of them together. For example, we mix meat with vegetables to make a stew or casserole, eggs with milk and sugar to make custard or flour with oil, cheese, vegetables and meat to make a pizza. While the pyramid can’t possibly show all the different combinations, mixing foods, and adding herbs and spices to create flavours we enjoy, will help us to eat the food variety that we need, while keeping to the proportions outlined in the Pyramid.

The Healthy Living Pyramid encourages variety, minimum fat, adequate fibre, limited salt and adequate water to be balanced with physical activity. The ‘Move more' layer at the base of the Pyramid shows moving legs that add the concept of physical activity as being an essential link with eating.

The Layers of the Pyramid – from the bottom up.

Move more
Every time we move we use up some of the kilojoules (or calories) that are in the food that we eat. The kilojoules that we do not use up in energy will be stored and changed to fat. ‘Move more’ reminds us that we need to balance the energy (kilojoules) that we take in with the energy we use. We eat daily so we need to be active daily.

Eat most
This base layer of foods includes only plant foods: vegetables, fruits, nuts, dried peas, beans and lentils, breads and cereals (preferably wholegrain). These foods contain many different nutrients and should make up most of the food that we eat. Eating a variety of these foods each day should provide good amounts of energy from carbohydrate, as well as protein, minerals, vitamins and dietary fibre. In other words these foods are nutrient dense (each food contains a lot of nutrients for each kilojoule that it provides).
Alongside the base is the symbol for water to encourage water consumption. 6-8 glasses each day is the recommendation. Smaller children need about 4-5 glasses of water.

Eat moderately
Foods in the middle of the Pyramid include fish, lean meat, eggs, chicken (no skin), milk, cheese and yoghurt. Eating a serving of meat, fish or eggs and three of dairy foods each day will provide protein, minerals (especially iron and calcium) and B vitamins.

Eat in small amounts
Sugars and fats are in this layer. These foods should be limited because they lack a good supply of the nutrients needed for growth, good health and quick energy. While small amounts of fats, oils and sugar are acceptable, larger amounts of these foods will cause an inadequately varied food intake. When choosing fats and oils it is better to choose the ones that have low levels of saturated fat and better levels of omega -3 fats. The Pyramid also suggests that salt should not be added to foods. By choosing a wide variety of foods the Healthy Living Pyramid (HLP) way we should consume all the nutrients and other food compounds that we need for good health. When we serve a meal the ‘Eat most’ foods should take up most of the plate, the ‘Eat moderately’ foods should take up a third or less of the plate, and there should be very little of the ‘Eat in small amounts’ foods. The HLP does not state how many serves we should have or the size of the serves but it does give an idea about the balance of foods we need to choose for good health. In order to maintain body weight, food eaten (energy in) needs to be balanced with physical activity (energy out).

Superfoods

SUPERFOODS

A superfood is a type of food believed to have health benefits beyond those of more common foods due to specific phytonutrient content. For instance, blueberries are considered a Superfood because they contain significant amounts of antioxidants, vitamin C, manganese and dietary fibre, which are believed to provide important health benefits.

The 14 Superfoods are the 14 nutritional powerhouses that have the most complete nutrient content to prevent and treat cardiovascular disease, type two diabetes, hypertension, certain cancers and even dementia.

They are the food with the highest concentration of important nutrients, including vital and uncommon phytonutrients.


THE 14 SUPERFOODS
1. Beans
2. Blueberries
3. Broccoli
4. Oats
5. Oranges
6. Pumpkin
7. Wild Salmon
8. Soy
9. Spinach
10. Tea
11. Tomatoes
12. Turkey
13. Walnuts
14. Yoghurt

Recipes

Easy and Healthy Recipes for the family!

Get Create! Being healthy does not mean eating Brussel sprouts all day. In this section, we list some tips and recipes for each of the meals eaten throughout the day: breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts and snacks. Enjoy!

Breakfast

Cutting calories be skipping breakfast is a false economy. It can lead to increased hunger levels, eating unhealthy snacks, and an increased prevalence of obesity. Breakfast, especially when wholegrains, and fruits are consumed means our minds and bodies are receiving a rich source of minerals, vitamins, antioxidants and dietary fibre to ensure we function efficiently.

Breakfast Ideas:
• Cereal, try to contain fibre and carbohydrates (e.g. Weet-bix)
• Fruit, Yoghurt and Muesli
• Egg on Toast
• Fruit Juices and Smoothies
• Omelettes
• Baked Beans on Toast
• Porridge




Tip:
• Herbal teas, and green tea, are one of the most ancient, and next to water, the most widely consumed beverages in the world. Highly valued due to its health-enhancing benefits, herbal teas are rich in antioxidant properties that protect against free radicals, and are effective energisers for when you require a pick-me-up.

• Instead of adding sugar (brown sugar, castor sugar, etc) you can add fruit to breakfast. Fruit contain natural sugars and are much healthier for you than sugar. Try: Weet-bix, milk and fresh blueberries or sliced banana; Porridge and strawberries.

• Try making a fruit smoothie and pouring it over your cereal as a form of milk! Forr example, I make a fruit smoothie containing a banana, strawberries, yoghurt and milk. Then I poor the smoothie over my Weet-Bix. It is very tasty and great for you!

• While drinking plenty of water is the ideal way to cleanse and refresh our bodies, sometimes our taste buds require a little more flavour. Fruit juices, such as orange juice which is naturally low in sugar and high in vitamin C and potassium, and watermelon juice which consists of 92% water, are the perfect healthy snack.

School and Work Lunches

Tips:
•Use avocado on sandwiches instead of butter or margarine.
•Wholegrain (brown and grainy) is better for you because it contains more fibre, which is great for the digestive system.

Oven-baked corn omelettes

All the goodness of an omelette in the form of a muffin! Try these for dinner with a mixed salad or pop them in a lunch box for school or work.

Ingredients (serves 4)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 6 rashers bacon, chopped
• 4 green onions, finely sliced
• 2 x 420g cans corn kernels, well drained
• 3/4 cup grated tasty cheese
• 8 eggs

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease or line an 8 x 1/2-cup capacity muffin pan with paper cases.
2. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add bacon and onions. Cook for 5 minutes or until soft. Transfer to a bowl. Stir through corn. Cool for 10 minutes.
3. Stir cheese into corn mixture. Spoon evenly into muffin holes. Beat eggs in a jug with a fork until well combined. Pour evenly over corn mixture. Bake for 30 minutes or until light golden and set.
4. Stand for 5 minutes in pan. Carefully lift out.

Notes
• Serve with mixed salad leaves.

Banana Weet-Bix choc-chip muffins

Pop a delicious and healthy little treat in your kids lunch boxes!

Makes - 12

Ingredients
• 3 ripe bananas
• 4 Weet-Bix
• 185ml (3/4 cup) milk
• 2 eggs
• 80g (4 tbs) margarine
• 225g (1 1/2 cups) self-raising flour, sifted
• 2 tbs brown sugar
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Grease a 12-hole muffin pan. Mash bananas in a bowl, then crumble in Weet-Bix and stir in the milk.
3. Set aside for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, beat together the eggs and margarine, then add to the banana mixture. Combine flour and sugar in a large bowl and add wet ingredients and choc chips.
4. Stir until just combined, then spoon into muffin pan and bake for 25 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Vegetable frittata

Preparation Time - 15 minutes
Cooking Time - 60 minutes

Ingredients (serves 6)
• 1/3 cup (70g) risoni pasta
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthways, sliced thinly
• 100g mushrooms, sliced
• 150g sliced leg ham, chopped
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 2 tbs parsley
• 6 eggs, lightly whisked
• Salt & pepper

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line base of a 20cm round or square cake pan.
2. Cook pasta in large pan of boiling salted water until tender. Drain.
3. Heat oil in large frying pan and cook onion, zucchini and mushrooms for 3 minutes until just tender.
4. Combine pasta, vegetable mixture, ham, tomato, parsley and eggs in large bowl and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Pour mixture into prepared pan, bake for 45 minutes or until cooked through. Stand 5 minutes before turning out.

Notes
• Can be served as a side to steak or chicken, or just serve as a main with salad.

Steak sandwich

A tasty sandwhich that can be eaten for lunch or dinner!

Ingredients (serves 4)
• 1 large brown onion, halved, sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/3 cup whole-egg mayonnaise
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 4 (150g each) beef rump steaks
• 1 Turkish bread loaf
• 80g baby rocket
• 2 tomatoes, sliced

Method
1. Preheat a barbecue plate and grill or a chargrill pan on medium heat. Place onion and 1 tablespoon of oil in a bowl. Toss to combine. Add onion to barbecue plate. Cook, stirring, for 5 to 6 minutes or until softened and light golden. Remove to a plate and cover to keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, combine mayonnaise and garlic in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Brush steaks with remaining oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill for 2 minutes on each side for medium or until cooked to your liking. Remove to a plate and cover to keep warm.
4. Cut bread crossways into 4 pieces. Cut pieces in half lengthways. Grill both sides of bread for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until toasted. Spread garlic mayonnaise over toasted sides of bread. Top bread bases with rocket, tomato, steak, onion and bread tops. Serve.

Dinner

Tips:
• Only drink water with dinner.
• If kids insist on having soft-drink or cordial, offer fruit punch as it is healthier, and still has the same sweet taste.
• The leftovers from dinner can be eaten for lunch the next day. For example: A stir fry using lean beef, chicken or fish, and a variety of vegetables, (e.g. Capsicum, onion, broccoli, mushrooms, and baby corn) cooked in two teaspoons of olive oil and served with steamed basmati rice.
• Don’t overcook vegetables as you tend to take out some of the nutritional value.
• Adding herbs and spices to create flavors we enjoy, will help us to eat the food variety that we need, while keeping to the proportions in proportion!

Chicken Provencale

Our Chicken provencale recipe is a family favourite.

Ingredients (serves 4)
• 4 chicken breast fillets, trimmed
• 1/3 cup plain flour
• 50g butter, chopped
• 1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup dry sherry
• 400g can diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup kalamata olives
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• Steamed potatoes and broccolini, to serve

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Place flour in a snap-lock bag. Season with salt and pepper. Add chicken breasts, 2 at a time, shaking to coat. Shake off excess. Place on a plate.
2. Melt butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes each side or until golden. Transfer to a 5cm-deep, 20cm x 30cm (base) baking dish.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add onion to pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until softened. Increase heat to medium-high. Add sherry. Bring to the boil. Boil for 1 minute. Add tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 6 minutes or until boiling. Spoon tomato mixture over chicken. Cover.
4. Bake for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through, adding olives for the last 5 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with potatoes and broccolini.

Fish and chips

Preparation Time - 15 minutes
Cooking Time - 30 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)
• 5 slices wholegrain bread, crusts removed
• flour, for dusting
• 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 4 firm white fish fillets, trimmed with bones removed
• 4 medium potatoes, skin on, cut into wedges
• salt and cracked black pepper
• 1/2 cup (140g) Greek yoghurt
• 1 tablespoon chopped dill
• 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
• lemon wedges, to serve

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Place the bread in a food processor and process until finely crumbed. Transfer to a large plate.
2. Place the flour and egg white in separate bowls. Dust the fish, one at a time, in the flour, dip into the egg white, then roll in the breadcrumbs. Place fish on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper. Cover and refrigerate until required.
3. Meanwhile place the potato on a baking tray lined with non-stick paper and spray with olive oil spray. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Cook for 15-20 minutes. Toss and return to the oven until golden and cooked through.
4. Combine the yoghurt, dill and parsley and refrigerate until needed.
5. Place the fish on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper and place in the oven with the wedges. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden and fish flakes easily when tested with a fork in the thickest part. Serve immediately with the yoghurt dip and lemon wedges.

Minestrone Soup

Preparation Time - 10 minutes
Cooking Time - 22 minutes

Ingrediants (serves 4)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 2 sticks celery, chopped
• 6 cups (1.25L) beef or vegetable stock
• 400g can crushed tomatoes
• 310g 4 bean mix
• 100g risoni pasta
• salt and cracked black pepper, to serve

Method
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion, carrot and celery, and cook for 3-4 minutes or until just starting to soften - do not brown.
2. Pour in stock and tomatoes, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add beans and risoni, and cook for 6-8 minutes or until risoni is tender. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Notes
• The Italian word minestra means 'thick soup'. While the wealthy ate chicken cacciatore, minestrone was the food of the poor. Minestrone can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for three days and can be frozen for up to three months.

Pumpkin soup

An Australian classic.

Ingredients (serves 6)
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 leek, white part only, finely sliced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1kg peeled pumpkin, diced
• 1 large potato, peeled, diced
• 1L chicken or vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup (125ml) thin cream

Method
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over low heat, add onion and leek and cook for 2-3 minutes, until softened but not coloured. Add garlic and spices and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add pumpkin, potato and stock and bring to the boil. Turn heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then blend in batches.
2. Return soup to pan, stir through cream and reheat gently. Season and add a little more nutmeg if desired.

Honey-soy braised pork

Succulent pork in a sweetly spiced aromatic sauce makes a delicious and filling winter meal.

Preparation Time - 10 minutes

Cooking Time - 185 minutes

Ingredients (serves 6)
• 2kg-piece boneless pork shoulder
• 125ml (1/2 cup) soy sauce
• 125ml (1/2 cup) sweet sherry
• 125ml (1/2 cup) honey
• 2 whole star anise
• 5cm-piece fresh ginger, peeled, thinly sliced
• 1 x 7cm cinnamon stick
• 625ml (2 1/2 cups) chicken stock
• 2 tbs water
• 1 tbs cornflour
• Steamed rice, to serve
• Steamed Asian greens, to serve

Method
1. Place the pork in a large heavy-based saucepan. Add the soy sauce, sherry, honey, star anise, ginger and cinnamon.
2. Add enough stock to the pan to reach three-quarters of the way up the side of the pork, adding extra stock or water if necessary. Place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to very low. Simmer gently, covered, skimming the surface occasionally and turning the pork every 30 minutes, for 3 hours or until the pork is tender.
3. Transfer the pork to a large bowl and cover with foil to keep warm. Line a large sieve with paper towel. Strain the cooking liquid through the lined sieve into a large bowl. Return the liquid to the saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
4. Combine the water and cornflour in a small bowl until a smooth paste forms. Add the cornflour mixture to the pan. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until the sauce boils and thickens slightly.
5. Thickly slice the pork across the grain. Divide the rice and greens among serving dishes. Top with pork and sauce to serve.

Apple & fresh date crumble

Preparation Time - 15 minutes

Cooking Time - 10 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)
• 4 golden delicious apples, peeled, cored, chopped
• 100g fresh dates, pitted, chopped
• 1/3 cup (80ml) fresh orange juice
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/3 cup rolled oats
• 50g slivered almonds
• 2 tbs shredded coconut
• Light cream, to serve (optional)

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Place apples, dates, orange juice and cinnamon stick in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer covered for 2-3 minutes or until just tender.
2. Discard the cinnamon stick and divide the mixture among 4 x 1/2 cup ovenproof dishes.
3. Combine oats, almonds and coconut. Sprinkle over the top and bake for 8-10 minutes. Serve with cream if desired.

Berry delicious Ice Blocks

Here's a clever way to sneak fruit into your kids — pick up a set of ice block moulds and try this recipe.

Ingredients (serves 4)
• 3 kiwifruit, peeled, coarsely chopped
• 250g strawberries, washed, hulled
• 60ml (1/4 cup) apple juice

Method
1. Place kiwifruit, strawberries, and apple juice in a blender, and blend until smooth. Pour the strawberry mixture into the moulds and freeze overnight.

Apricot, rosewater & date compote

Cooking Time - 20 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)
• 180g (1 cup) whole dried Turkish apricots
• 150g (1 cup) whole pitted dried dates
• 80ml (1/3 cup) blue gum honey
• 2 tsp rosewater essence
• 55g (1/3 cup) shelled pistachios
• 125ml (1/2 cup) warm water
• 1 x 200g ctn continental yoghurt (Attiki brand), to serve

Method
1. Combine the apricots, dates, honey, rosewater essence, pistachios and water in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 7-8 minutes or until apricots and dates are plump (see microwave tip).
2. Spoon fruit compote among serving bowls and serve with yoghurt, if desired.

Notes
• Microwave tip: Combine the apricots, dates, honey, rosewater essence, pistachios and water in a heatproof, microwave-safe bowl. Heat, uncovered, on Medium-High/650watts/70% for 5-7 minutes or until the apricots and dates are plump.
• Leftovers: Use pistachios in desserts.

Snacks

Ideas:
•By planning you meals, and having snacks prepared, you can avoid snaking on junk food.
•Having Fruit cut up in the fridge is always handy so that it is made easy for the kids to access.
•Examples of healthy snacks: Smoothies, fruit, low-fat muesli bars, yoghurt.

Guacamole with vegie sticks

Avocados are a nutrient powerhouse and rich in beneficial fats. But the best news is that they taste fantastic, especially in this easy, kid-friendly recipe!

Cooking Time- 30 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)
• 2 small avocados, peeled
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 small tomato, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons plain Greek-style yoghurt
• 100g plain corn chips
• 2 celery stalks, trimmed, cut into sticks
• 1 medium carrot, peeled, cut into sticks
• 1 medium red capsicum, cut into sticks

Method
1.Place avocado in a bowl. Roughly mash with a fork. Add onion, tomato, coriander, lime juice and yoghurt. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
2.Serve with corn chips and vegetable sticks.


Notes
•Cover surface of dip with plastic wrap and refrigerate if not serving immediately.
Tip: Adding lemon or lime juice to avocado not only adds flavour, but helps prevent it browning.
Cooking class: Mashing: Carefully cut avocado in half lengthways and remove stone (ask an adult for help). Peel avocado and place flesh in a large bowl. Using a fork, roughly mash.

Apple and bran muffins

Bake a batch of wholesome apple and bran muffins.

Makes- 12

Ingredients
• 1 1/2 cups self-raising flour, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, sifted
• 1 1/2 cups wheat bran
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 large pink lady apple, grated
• 1 cup reduced-fat milk
• 1/2 cup apple sauce
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• Topping
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method
1.Preheat oven to 190°C/170°C fan-forced. Grease a 12-hole, 1/3 cup-capacity muffin pan.
2.Make topping Combine sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Set aside.
3.Place flour, baking powder, bran, sugar, cinnamon and apple in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Make a well in centre.
4.Place milk, apple sauce, oil and egg in a jug. Whisk until just combined.
5.Pour milk mixture into well. Gently stir until just combined (don’t over-mix). Spoon mixture into prepared pan holes. Sprinkle with topping. Bake for 25 to 27 minutes or until browned and cooked through. Stand in pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve.

_____________________________________

http://mylifecheck.heart.org/
My life check is a worthwhile and informative quiz that tests all aspects of your health and then assesses you and gives you a report card - telling you where you have done well, and where you can improve!

Take the test and make those changes today!
Good luck, and remember to enjoy the process!!

HEALHY LIFESTYLE
This website was designed with the goal of improving Australia’s health by educating the public on how best to live to achieve a healthy weight. The key topics covered: BMI, Nutrition, Exercise, the affects of a healthy lifestyle, and Family recipes all have one thing in common: any person can make these changes, the steps are not expensive and even modest improvements to your health will make a big difference. Start with one or two changes, and set realistic goals. This simple, webpage has been developed to deliver. Our goal is to live a long, productive, enjoyable and healthy life.

Happy and Healthy living!

Kate

__________________________________________________

AN INSPIRATIONAL STORY- Geoff Huegill

Geoff Huegill a hero to broad masses

Wayne Smith, Delhi From: The Australian October 07, 2010 12:00AM


THERE is a hero inside each of us but the difference between Geoff Huegill and most Australians is he had the courage and perseverance to find his.
His inner-hero admittedly needed some excavating, buried as it was beneath bulging layers of fat. Barely three years ago, there seemed no way that inner-hero would see the light of day again.

The sculpted swimmer with the Adonis body who won an Olympic medal at 21, a world title at the age of 22 was nowhere to be seen. Huegill was living proof that those who indulge, bulge.

His weight had soared to 140kg. Once described as the most beautiful butterflyer in the world, Huegill had undergone a reverse chrysalis and turned into an ugly slug. That's when he decided if enough was enough, too much was way too much. Shyly, slyly, he started making his comeback. Too embarrassed to expose himself to the cameras, he hid away and did his training on the quiet.



Bit by bit, he chipped away, sculpting his body in much the same way Michelangelo once sculpted the David, by removing the outer layer to expose the hero within.

Last night, at the Commonwealth Games, that hero emerged as Huegill - now a lesser man by 45kg in weight but huge in every other respect - surged to the silver medal in the 50m butterfly.

A miniscule 0.02sec separated him from the gold, claimed by Kenya's Jason Dunford in 23.35sec, which meant Huegill qualified as the World's Greatest Loser in two respects.

As ever, win or lose, he lit up the pool with his goofy smile, knowing in his heart now he can go all the way at the London Olympics in 2012 if he decides to go that far. That's a decision he'll defer until after his swim in the 100m butterfly here.

But more than that he did what all Australia so desperately needed him to do. On a day when two Games competitors showed the ugly face of Australian sport, Huegill revealed the admirable.

Certainly there was much to admire about his swim. Time-wise his 23.37sec was barely 0.1sec outside his post-comeback best but more important was the way he put it together. He might, at the age of 31, have given away 12 years to some of his competitors but his reflexes were still sharp enough to propel him off the blocks within 0.63sec of the gun, the second-fastest in the field.

"The first part of the race was about getting some good water then it was about getting into the wall," Huegill said.

While he could hardly have improved on his start and finish, it was what was in between that cost him. US-based Dunford was marginally quicker into his stroke, quicker into clear water. Huegill was never far behind but he needed the Kenyan to finish mid-stroke and that didn't happen.

"I am really pumped to get silver," Huegill said. "Three years ago I was still lugging 140kg and two years ago I was just getting back in. If I had my time again, I would still do it. It's a massive life lesson.

"I knew Jason was the one to beat."

It was in Italy this year that Dunford admitted to Huegill how much he admired him for what he was achieving in the pool.

That really drove home to Skippy that his comeback was about more than just another old champion trying to relive his glory days. Suddenly he realised he had become a hero again, a hero to the broad masses.

___________________________________________________________

Geoff Huegill's seven steps from flab to fab

Robert Craddock From: Herald Sun October 09, 2010 7:11PM

Before and after ... Geoff Huegill lost 45kg on his way to winning Commonwealth Games gold. Source: News Limited


THE secrets to Geoff Heugill's rejuvenation as an athlete are not quite what the wider world might expect them to be.

The fact that he lost 45kg might suggest he lived a Spartan life. But he didn't. He led a balanced life and cut out the excesses.

"People think I stopped eating potato chips and stiff like that but I didn't," he said.

"I just stopped eating the whole packet. I made sure the packet lasted me for a few days and not five minutes.

"I was also conscious of the size of the plates I used at the dinner table. With bigger plates there was always a tendency to eat more.

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Related CoverageIn pictures: Huegill's seven secrets .End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.
"Another thing you have to remember is not to be too hard on yourself. Don't expect to be perfect at it. There will be days when it does not go well.

"It's the commitment to getting it back on track that matters.

"I also feel it is important to be realistic about your goals.

"There's no point setting goals which are not out of reach.

"My guest speaking program is called Be Your Best, which is all about not trying to be perfect but just doing your best. There's a difference and that has seems to have struck a chord with people."

Heugill said his weight ballooned when he went overseas and started backpacking and his life lost direction.

"Probably the best way of putting it was that I was just existing," he said.

"I hated looking in the mirror. I didn't really care what I ate."

_ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ -

HUEGILL'S SEVEN SECRETS TO GETTING IN SHAPE


1. Set realistic goals - not everyone can climb Mt Everest - and a realistic time frame.

2. Get balance. You can have Tim Tams but don't do what I did and eat the whole packet. Each chips if you like but make the packet last a few days.




3. Live your new plan every day. Don't make it a five-day-a-week thing.

4. Surround yourself with positive, like-minded individuals. You can't rely on self-motivation every day.

5. Have self-belief. That will get you out of bed and make you fight through.

6. Don't think you are going to be perfect. Everyone has down days. Just be your best.

7. To bring out the champion in you, play to your strengths. Manage your weaknesses but don't be obsessed by them.