1)    Regulate stress As fun as activities during festivals can be - there are parties to plan, gifts to buy, relatives to meet etc… - all of it can be quite taxing. By making time for self-care, taking time off to relax and unwind, whether going for a walk, meditating, reading a book or watching a film, try to do something that makes you happy. Another important thing to do is to get enough sleep. Sleeping too little alters hormone levels in a way that encourages weight gain and cravings for less healthy food. By creating a sleep ritual where you shut off electronics an hour or ..read more

  Hydration Hydration is key to multiple functions of the body. Not only does it moisturise skin, satiate hunger, and lubricate the joints, but the right amount of water helps your heart pump blood more effectively. Without sufficient liquidity within the bloodstream, it is much harder for oxygen and other essential nutrients to reach your cells, including the brain’s. This ensures all systems of the body are functioning properly. Water also helps to flush out unwanted toxins from the body through urination. Finally, since about 75% of your brain tissue is water, if you’re dehydrated, it ..read more

Reasons not to have cereal for breakfast:  1. You Are Spiking Your Blood Sugar Early In The Day You might not have realised, but most of your favourite breakfast cereals are likely to be extremely high in sugar. Furthermore, since most are made from ultra-refined grains, they’re pretty high on the glycemic index (GI). High GI carbohydrates (carbs) that spike your blood sugar give the body a fast source of energy (as it’s easy for the body to digest) and will usually follow with what is commonly described as a sugar crash.  Sugar crashes happen because ingested carbs get shuttled into ..read more

Myth 1: You should cut out red meat For some reason, red meat has been demonised over the past decade. In fact, there are numerous benefits to it: -       Significant source of protein- essential amino acids aplenty and very satiating. -       Nutrient density- high in zinc, thiamin, B12. A source of bioavailable heme iron, this is especially important if you have had anemia. The iron in red meat is absorbed far better than plant-based sources. -       Not all the fat in meat is saturated! Half of the fat ..read more

You don’t know how to manage hunger Cravings aren’t easy to deal with, and the brain is hard to control when it wants something badly enough. Unfortunately, the brain often tells us we should eat sweets, fried food, and starchy pastas and bread. Combine this with the most basic diet strategy of simply eating less and you’re headed for disaster. Don’t get me wrong, portion control has its place, but if all you do is eat less, then don’t be surprised if you end up as a smaller version of who you were before but not necessarily leaner or in the condition you wanted. In order to manage hunger and ..read more

Define what your goals are and break them down into smaller goals You have already established the desire to achieve a body transformation, but let’s go a little further. Do you have any upcoming events? A holiday you want to trim down for? Everyone's goal is different. It doesn't matter what it is but it should be something that provides you with the inspiration to not give up. The average transformation process usually lasts between 8 to 15 weeks depending on the start point of the client. Although committing 15 weeks to your health shouldn't be an issue, it can sometimes feel like a long sl ..read more

Skipping meals was once fitness heresy. Throughout the 90s, it was a widely held belief that if you wanted to get into shape, then you had to eat 6 meals a day, at regular intervals, to keep the metabolism purring like a well-groomed feline. If you went without protein for longer than 3 hours, then unspeakable things would happen to your body as you enter the inner circle of catabolism and experience soul destroying loss of gains. But then, A man named Ori Hofmekler published his Warrior Diet, which rejected the notion that this was the correct approach. He built a pseudo-historical thesis on ..read more

Diet Sodas And Other Low Calorie Drinks A lot of soda brands now have diet options that are usually zero calories as they use sweeteners in place of sugar. We’ve seen non-carbonated drinks under this category too and although there’s an ongoing debate between whether sweeteners are harmful to your body or not, to this date studies have proven otherwise.  For most overweight people, the health benefits gained from losing fat far outweighs any potential health issues a few sodas might create. We personally like to have a diet soda here and there to hit those cravings when they come. Water I ..read more

Drinking Sugar-Sweetened Beverages It’s still a mystery why anyone would consider over-indulging on sugar-sweetened beverages. They have zero nutritional benefit and they are stacked with calories. Not only are they empty calories, but they also do very little to satisfy hunger, which makes it easy for people to consume large quantities without reducing appetite. Avoid sugar-sweetened beverages at all costs. Stick to plain water, tea and coffee.     Eating High-Calorie Processed Foods The big problem with these foods doesn’t lie in the fact that they are so calorie dense. Refined car ..read more

What is a superfood? There is no agreed definition for superfoods, however, for argument’s sake, we can say that “superfoods” are foods that are nutrient dense. In fact, we should all be a little suspicious of the term as it is largely the creation of marketing agencies—and here at Nutrition Kitchen, we hate fads. The issue is, we often overlook lots of everyday foods in favour of exotic imports. That being said, if you remember to eat a varied diet of whole foods, remembering to incorporate a wide spectrum of colours, then you’ll be eating a very nutrient-dense diet. Some examples: We can div ..read more