Breakfast cereals: Cornflakes (550mg per 100g), Rice Bubbles (550mg per 100g) and Nutri-Grain (480mg per 100) all contain more salt than we would like to see in a breakfast cereal. Ideally, choose a breakfast cereal that has less than 400mg of sodium (salt) per 100g. Bread: Salt is an essential ingredient in bread so finding a low-salt bread can be difficult. Try to find a bread that has less than 400mg sodium per 100g. Also try to limit your bread intake to no more than 4 slices per day. ...

Firstly, there is no clear cut answer, hormones may challenge you, eating less may be sending signals to your body to hold on to as much food as possible to maintain nourishment. However, with exercise it is easy SWITCH UP YOUR WORKOUT!! Everyone’s body is a great machine, you introduce your body to an exercise that it hasn’t done before then as a result, you get the shakes when you go down the stairs, sitting down becomes a challenge but then all that disappears, why is that? You...

Are you pressed for time? Is it possible to lose fat without working hard for hours at a time? ANSWER: Yes – Do interval training. It is backed by many research articles to; Improve the ability to burn more energy in less time; Improve glucose utilization; Improve cardiovascular fitness; Train in less the amount of time to get results which is ideal for time poor individuals and many more benefits… Ask your Exercise Physiologist to see what routine will work best for yo...

Sea salt or table salt? Honey or sugar? Isn’t low fat yoghurt full of sugar? This fantastic article from the Dietitians at the Healthy Food Guide will answer all these questions and more! http://www.healthyfoodguide.com.au/articles/2012/july/which-is-healthier

If you are watching your weight over the silly season, try these clever food swaps from the Dietitian’s Association of Australia: Nibbles: Swap four squares of chocolate for two chocolate-coated strawberries.         (Save 300KJ and 3.4g fat.) Lunch: Swap one cup of pasta salad made with creamy dressing for a cup of coleslaw with fat-free dressing.         (Save 1,350KJ and 21g fat.) Dessert: Swap a larg...

 1. Avoid going to parties or functions hungry. You are much more likely to fill up on (and overeat) the nibblies (which might include chips/lollies/sausage rolls etc) rather than waiting for the main meal. Have a small snack before you go (such as a piece of fruit or a tub of yoghurt) to take the edge off your hunger. 2. Be wary of drinking your calories. Alcohol has a very high kilojoule content so if you choose to drink, try to have lower-alcohol options (such as light beer or low-alc...

Have a large bowl of cherries as your pre-dinner nibbles. They are a great seasonal treat and much healthier alternative to lollies! Prefer savoury snacks? Try popcorn rather than corn chips and try veggie sticks (celery, carrot, capsicum) with dip (hommus, tzatziki, guacamole) rather than overloading guests with cheese and crackers! Offer fruit salad or diet jelly as a dessert option. Having a light and refreshing dessert available is ideal in the Australian summer! It is always thoughtful o...

As an exercise physiologist, I get asked this question a lot. We like to maintain some tight controls around energy expenditure so we can scientifically calculate this for each individual. The reality is, everyone is different. You know the calories burnt function on the treadmill or heart rate monitor? I hate to say it but they’re just not accurate. To get an accurate reading of how many calories you burn and therefore how much weight you will lose with exercise, you need to use anindir...

When it’s been a prolonged period of time between work outs, it can be hard to build up enough will power to turn those great thoughts into reality. I like to ride for fitness and if I’ve had a long stint off the bike I don’t seem to love it as much. I feel really unfit and it’s just not as fun! For me, I need to trick my brain into realising that it’s not such a bad thing after all. To do this, I recommend starting with really small goals that are so easy to achie...

If I manage to accidentally flick over to one of those infomercial channels and they are selling exercise equipment, I will often keep it there just for the entertainment value. With promises of shredding that stomach fat in 6 minutes a day or cutting your weight in half in 12 weeks it’s funnier than most sit coms! I like to see the positive in everything, and I certainly don’t see myself as a cynic, although these claims are hilariously inaccurate. I have people telling me weekly t...