At this time of year it feels like everyone is either sneezing or coughing! Although exercise is proven to be good for us we also know that those of us that exercise regularly can be more susceptible to illness especially during the winter months. Getting ill can lead to missing training sessions and playing catch up which can be really frustrating so read on for some Sport Dietitian expert tips on boosting your immune system over the winter months.

Avoid Energy restriction – Under-Eating or not consuming enough carbohydrate to fuel the demands of training can lead to increased levels of cortisol in your body (a stress hormone). High circulating levels of cortisone can increase your risk of developing illnesses. The key message is balance your intake with your training.

Hydrate well – Our bodies are 70% water and staying hydrated is important for our health, performance and wellbeing. Not hydrating effectively during and after exercise can also reduce your bodies production of saliva. Saliva has anti-microbial properties that protect us from bugs and illnesses entering our bodies. A key tip is to start hydrating from the time you wake up – try diluting 120mls fresh orange juice with water for a great vitamin C and electrolyte boost to start your day.

Eat a balanced diet – Make sure your meals contain colour – the saying ‘Eat a rainbow’ is extremely important at this time of year. Focus on consuming a variety of fruit and vegetables at each meal. These contain important vitamins and minerals to keep you healthy. A great tip that I like to give the athletes I work with is to buy a soup maker – a great way of packing extra vegetables into your diet and also really handy as a grab and go snack or meal after training sessions when you need something quick and easy.

Get enough sleep – Although not directly related to nutrition, research has shown that not getting enough sleep can result in over-eating and cravings which can have a negative affect on the nutritional quality of your diet. We also know that getting fewer than 6hours sleep per night can quadruple your risk of catching a cold. Aim for 7-9 hrs each night.

Be supplement savvy – The evidence in terms of supplement use and cold avoidance is relatively poor. There is however some evidence that consuming Vitamin C (<1g per day) can reduce the severity and duration of the common cold. Probiotics have also been found to be beneficial and can boost your gut health, preventing inflammation and strengthening your immunity. Consider taking a good probiotic supplement or increasing your consumption of natural probiotics such as live yoghurt and kefir. If a cold has taken hold Zinc acetate lozenges sucked throughout the day can reduce the duration of a cold by 44%. Take these in a lozenge form and not in tablet form and ensure any supplements you take are batch tested and safe by visiting the Informed sport website – www.informedsport.com

The phrase ‘We are what we eat’is very true when it comes to our mental health and wellbeing. Research tells us that the food we eat is associated with our mood, behaviour and cognition and a poor or unbalanced diet can lead to anxiety, depression and can also pre-dispose us to diseases in later life such as dementia. One of the most obvious yet under-recognised factors in the development of major trends in mental health is the role of nutrition.

One of the main reasons why it is believed that food consumption has a role in our mental health is associated with food production and manufacturing. What we are eating now is very different to our ancestors. Food production and manufacturing techniques coupled with changing lifestyles have resulted in the consumption of processed foods, reducing our intake of fresh fruit, vegetables and wholegrain foods.  Our consumption of sugar, alcohol and additives is also much higher.

So how does nutrition play a role in our mental health?
Just like the heart, stomach and liver the brain is an organ that is acutely sensitive to what we eat and drink.  Some nutrients trick the brain by triggering an over release of neurotransmitters and some foods damage the brain by releasing toxins that harm healthy brain cells. Balanced mood and feelings of well being can be protected by ensuring that our diet provides adequate amounts of complex carbohydrate, essential fatty acids, amino acids, vitamins minerals and water.

So where’s the evidence?
Nearly 2/3 of those who do not report mental health problems eat fruit and vegetables every day compared with less than half of those who report mental health problems. Those who report some level of mental health problems also eat fewer healthy foods (fresh fruit and vegetables, organic foods and meals made from scratch and more unhealthy food (processed foods including chips, crisps, chocolate ready meals and takeaways)

If we look into this further the brain runs on glucose which is derived from carbohydrate. Some carbohydrates are better at fuelling the brain than others because they are less refined and therefore release glucose more slowly. These are also called low glycaemic index carbohydratesand are found in foods such as wholegrain foods, vegetables and pulses.  Choosing foods that take longer to digest means that your brain receives a more steady and stable consistent flow of fuel with which to function. Refined carbohydrates such as white bread, pasta, rice and sugary foods and snacks should therefore be consumed less often.

Essential fatty acids also play a role in our brain health. Although too much fat in our diet is considered unhealthy consuming ‘healthier’ fats such as omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids in moderate quantities is beneficial. These fatty acids perform vital functions in terms of structuring brain cells (or neurons). One of the richest sources of omega 3 fatty acids is oily fish. Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids are also found in nuts, seeds, green leafy vegetables.

Vitamins and minerals are also key to our wellbeing and health with deficiencies in these having been implicated in a number of mental health problems. A healthy balanced diet should provide all the essential vitamins and minerals to sustain health and well-being. Unfortunately, symptoms of low mood and depression can include food restriction or consuming an un-balanced diet, this can lead to nutritional deficiencies and can further exacerbate symptoms of low mood, anxiety and depression.

Lastly water is key to our health – our bodies are 70% water and our brain 80%, it is therefore essential that we hydrate effectively to ensure our brain can function appropriately. Symptoms of under-hydration can result in tiredness, lack of concentration and low mood and can also affect appetite regulation and hunger.

The time is now right for Nutrition to become a mainstream everyday component of mental health care 
Targeted nutritional intervention is key to addressing mental health and well being and that this is particularly important on a 1:1 basis but also in the workplace where stress can be a significant factor.

Structured education sessions can cover: –

• Promoting a healthy balanced diet (linked to food and mood)
• Promoting food literacy (label reading)
• Construction and sustaining a healthy balanced diet
• Addressing food related challenges such as weight gain in menopause which can cause distress and can alter eating habits and body image
• The benefits of nutrition and physical activity

• What are the advantages of targeting nutrition?
  A healthier, motivated workforce and reduced sickness absences – The mental health foundation state that Worksite prevention strategies can produce annual savings of £392,000 annually
• Enhanced self esteem, self reliance and self determination over healthy food choices
• Prevent high blood pressure, stroke and high blood cholesterol levels
• Reduce the risk of dementia and chronic diseases
• Promote optimal nutrition
• Enhance food security

If you are interested in receiving tailored nutrition advice, please get in touch.

Reflecting on a recent trip to Spain, I thought I would share an idea based around the Tapas or ‘small plate’ concept’. This idea could help you to include some key essential nutrients into your diet to optimise health and performance and also support you with healthy weight loss as discussed in one of my earlier blogs Healthy Weight loss Goals.

Tapas or Small Dishes

In Spain they serve many tapas dishes but a favourite of mine is the roasted vegetable platter, this often includes vegetables such as mange tout, baby corn, asparagus spears and roasted peppers all of which combine to create a fantastic array of beautiful colour, fantastic flavour but more importantly some essential nutrients including Vitamins B and C, Folate and Dietary Fibre.

Build in the concept!

• Having a vegetable dish as a starter or before a meal is a great way to take the edge off your hunger, get essential nutrients and even get the kids interested in vegetables!
• Another alternative would be a small bowl of crudités such as carrot sticks and cucumber sticks and red peppers. Pop them in the middle of the table with a simple mint and low-fat greek yoghurt dip – yum!
• Roast vegetables in the oven using a small amount of olive oil/ rapeseed oil. Olive and Rapeseed oil are considered better for heart health but even so they are still a dense source of calories and every tablespoon is approximately 100kcal! Better still use a spray oil!
• Go shopping for the ingredients today, prep tonight and have on hand ready for tomorrow nights after work hunger pangs or tea time mealtime rush!

Stay Hydrated!

Another good tip taken from the Spanish is to ensure you are drinking with your meal, water is served with food in Spain as a matter of course and often enough we confuse hunger with thirst therefore drinking with meals and staying well hydrated Is extremely important. Alcohol also dehydrates us and weakens glycogen (carbohydrate) stores. Limit your intake of alcoholic drinks and if having the occasional drink try to aim to drink a glass of water with every alcoholic drink to stay hydrated.

I hope these tips are useful!

x Victoria

I’d like to set you a challenge for this year – Ditch the scales!

Why?

There are many reasons why athletic performance can’t be measured by the numbers on a scale. I avoid weighing athletes in my day to day work as a Sports Dietitian and these are the reasons why.

1. By weighing yourself your confusing weight loss with fat loss. The key for many athletes is to preserve lean muscle mass and reduce fat mass. This can only be measured accurately by taking body composition measurements.
2. Weight can fluctuate by 3-6lbs each day due to things like water retention, hormonal changes, constipation. Athletes are prone to weight fluctuations due to changes in hydration status as well as sweat losses.
3. Scales also cause irrational behaviour. The number on the scales can affect your mood and outlook for the rest of the day. I see many athletes weighing themselves daily and becoming almost obsessed with the numbers rather than focusing on how they feel.
4. Weight is also about acceptance – just because you weighed a certain weight in your 20’s or 30’s doesn’t mean that this was a healthy weight or that it is now a suitable weight for your age, metabolic health and performance goals. Accept that that was then, this is now and the key is health, well being  and performance.

So if you ditch the scales, how can you track your weight?

Simple – go by how you feel, look and perform  – a strong, healthy lean body is the goal and this can be achieved regardless of the number on the scales.

Alternatively ask your Sports Dietitian / coach or physical trainer to undertake baseline body composition measures and have these re-done every 6-8 weeks to track changes in your lean muscle mass, fat mass and bone density.

Go on take up the challenge!

Reasons why an athlete might follow a Gluten free diet can be due to a Diagnosis of Coeliac Disease. Coeliac disease is a lifelong auto-immune condition which is diagnosed via a Blood test and confirmed via a duodenal biopsy. Another reason might not be Coeliac disease but for some a Non Coeliac Gluten Intolerance – this condition leads to IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) related symptoms where avoiding large quantities of wheat helps to alleviate symptoms. The other reason for following a gluten free diet might simply be athlete preference.

It is also important to consider that exercise, particularly endurance exercise can naturally affect blood flow to the gut and normal digestion leading to athletes developing gastro-intestinal symptoms. This does not necessarily mean that an athlete has an intolerance to a certain food and it can simply be the effect that exercise has on the body. In my work as a sports dietitian I always advise athletes to be cautious when eliminating whole food groups from their diet to manage gastro-intestinal symptoms.  Without careful supervision this can lead to nutritional deficiencies and can affect performance.

A word on Intolerance Testing!

There are many kits available these days that ‘claim’ to identify if you are intolerant to certain foods as well as expensive tests analysing hair and blood for intolerances. My advice is.. Save your money! These kits are unreliable and are not evidence based. You will often be given a list as long as your arm of foods to avoid  – I am confident the list will unreliably identify that you need to avoid  Gluten and dairy foods – two key food groups!! You are likely to be given no advice on how to ensure your diet is balanced and meets your needs for health and well-being let alone to fuel your individual sport and recovery. A lot of these tests also claim to diagnose Allergies! Allergies are a serious auto-immune reaction to a food that can lead to serious symptoms – they are diagnosed under medical supervision only! If you are concerned whether you have a Food Intolerance, or an allergy speak to a Sports Dietitian or your medical practitioner and seek professional advice and guidance.

If you choose to follow a Gluten Free diet here are some Sports Dietitian Tips to ensure your diet is Nutritionally on point!

1. Make sure you have a source of Carbohydrate (CHO) at each meal and that your total CHO intake is balanced or periodised against your training. There are a range of Gluten free breads and pasta available but there are also naturally Gluten free CHO based foods such as rice, quinoa, gluten free oats, chick pea pasta etc.
2. Aim where possible to choose low fat and low GI (Glycaemic index CHO) foods. It is often a misconception that GF products are healthier. Shop bought GF products are often higher in fat and sugar than alternatives. The GI of a food is the rate at which it is broken down to simple glucose molecules. The aim is to choose lower GI foods as they are broken down slowly to glucose, keep your blood glucose levels stable and keep you fuller for longer which is great if you are aiming to improve your body composition. Good choices include Wild rice or brown rice, quinoa, basmati rice, high fibre Gluten free breads e.g. Helga’s soy and linseed, 5 grains or country life, buckwheat pasta and GF porridge oats.
3. Ensure Balance at your meals at all times. Your meals should contain a source of CHO (for energy) Protein (for recovery) and fruit and vegetables (for vitamins and minerals). Non-processed protein foods such as lean meat, fish, cheese and yoghurt are all GF as are legumes, lentils nuts and seeds.
4. If choosing processed foods always check the labels to see if the product contains gluten. Also look at how much fat and sugar are in the product. As a general rule of thumb products that are high in fat these days are labelled using the ‘traffic light system’ – red means a product is relatively high in fat, amber moderately high in fat and Green – low in fat.

What about Sports Foods? 

There are many sports Foods that are naturally Gluten free but it’s important to check the labels or alternatively make your own. Skratch Labs feed zone portables is a useful resource. Other naturally containing Gluten free ‘fuelling foods’ include Bananas, Sports Beans, Nakd Bars, Bounce Bars e.g. Bounce energy ball, TREK bars (Berry burst), Bonk breaker energy bars, Picky bars e.g. Smooth caffeinator, Potatoes, Cliff nectar bar and medjool dates. Always check the label as products will vary based on the ingredients.

• Energy gels and Blocks are fine to consume (maltodextrin and glucose although derived from wheat – manufacturing removes the gluten.
• Carbohydrate -Electrolyte (energy drinks) – Always check the labels as waxy starches in the drinks are not GF.

Pay attention to Vitamins and minerals. Nutrients of note include Thiamine, folate, magnesium, calcium Vitamin A, Iron and Zinc. It is important if you are following a GF diet that you ensure that your diet is nutritionally balanced and contains the recommended nutrient intake of these vitamins and minerals. Accredited Sports Dietitians can offer you advice guidance and support to make sure if you are following a GF diet your diet is nutritionally balanced as well as able to support your individual goals as an athlete.