Nutrition

Magnesium- what is it and how can I get enough in my diet?

by (Dietitian and Sports Dietitian)

What is Magnesium?

  • Magnesium is a mineral that you need every day for good health.
  • Magnesium helps you take energy from food and make new proteins.
  • It is also an important part of your bones, and helps keep your muscles and nerves healthy.
  • Some people find that magnesium-rich foods or supplements help to reduce their cramping and muscle soreness.

  • The best sources of magnesium are legumes, nuts, seeds, fish and whole grains.

 

How much Magnesium should I aim for?

Daily target

Men 19-30yrs

330mg

Men 30+yrs

350mg

Women 19-30yrs

255mg

Women 30+yrs

265mg

** Magnesium from supplements should not exceed 350 mg per day. It is safe to consume more than your daily magnesium needs from food.

 

How can I get enough Magnesium without taking supplements?

The following table shows you which foods are good sources of Magnesium.

Food

Serving size

Magnesium (mg)

All bran

30g

83

 

Almonds

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1⁄4 cup

 

123

 

Banana

 

1 med

 

25

 

Brazil nuts

 page2image18416

1⁄4 cup

 

116

Brown rice

 

1 cup

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86

Cashews

1⁄4 cup

83

 

Dark chocolate

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40g

 

48

Firm tofu

 

150g

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112

Greek yogurt

175g

28

Hazelnuts

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1⁄4 cup

53

Kale, cooked

… read more »

Healthy Breakfast Options

by (Dietitian and Sports Dietitian)

Looking for something yummy to mix up your breakfast routine but also want something healthy? We have you covered with these dietitian endorsed recipes below.

AVOCADO TOAST WITH LEMON AND KALE

TOTAL TIME: 15 minutes Serves 2-4

INGREDIENTS:Healthy Breakfast Avo Toast

  • 1 cup shredded kale (no stems)
  • 1/2 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 4 slices multigrain bread
  • 1 small avocado
  • 1/8 teaspoon cumin
  • 4 thin slices radish (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon chia seeds

DIRECTIONS:

  1. In a bowl combine the kale, olive oil and juice of 1/4 lemon.
  2. Massage with your hands for about 1 minute, until the kale softens.
  3. Slice the avocado in half, reserving 1/2 of one avocado for thin slices. Scoop the rest into a small bowl and mash gently with a fork. Season with salt, black pepper and juice from 1/4 of a lemon.
  4. Toast the slices of multigrain bread.
  5. Spread the avocado mash across the toasted bread, top with slices and sprinkle with cumin (more lemon juice if desired).
  6. Top each with the massaged kale, radish and chia, finish with pinch salt and black pepper to taste.

Recipe from skinnytaste.com and endorsed by our dietitian Cass

 

Skinny Green Tropical Smoothie
Serves 2

Ingredients:Healthy Breakfast Green Smoothie

  • 3/4 cup lite coconut milk
  • ¾ cup
… read more »

5 Biggest Nutrition Mistakes According to a Dietitian

by (Dietitian and Sports Dietitian)

nutrition CassI work with people every day who are trying to improve their health and wellbeing with food. In my consults, I hear some of the same problems cropping up over and over again. So here’s my list of five nutrition mistakes that I see every day.

 

  1. Going on a diet

It might seem crazy to hear that, as a dietitian, I hate diets. The reason is that diets tend to have two things in common:

  1. They have arbitrary rules that don’t consider you as an individual
  2. They are temporary.

I often ask my clients “do you see yourself eating this way when you’re 80?” No? Then why start now? If you want to make a permanent change to your health and wellbeing you need a permanent change in what you eat. So my advice – make changes that you can keep up with, long-term.

 

  1. Not drinking enough (water that is)

Most of my clients do not drink enough water. They could be too busy, have trouble getting access to water or just don’t like it. Dehydration can make you feel tired which makes it harder to make good decisions about food. Some people also experience cravings for food … read more »

Cassandra Stuchbery

by (Dietitian and Sports Dietitian)

Cassie is a people-focused Dietitian who has a strong passion for all things food and nutrition. She is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Accredited Nutritionist with a Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics. Cassie is also a NDIS approved provider.

With a background in chronic disease and weight management Cassie enjoys helping and motivating clients with tailored nutrition programs. She also works providing sports nutrition advice to the Australian Sports Climbing team and regularly presents to young athletes.

Cassie is passionate about helping you make lasting changes to have a long term impact on your health, no fad diets or temporary solutions!

 … read more »

Nutrition and healthy eating for a new Mum

by (Dietitian & Sports Dietitian)

The arrival of your new baby is extremely exciting and stressful as it requires you to make a lot of adjustments. It is common that new mums and dads experience appetite disturbances, where they may feel disinterested in food. This is often caused by sleep disturbances.

Your diet gives you the energy you need during the day and keeps your body nourished so that it runs at its peak. Five small meals a day is recommended, but if you are finding it difficult to fit everything in as well as taking care of your new born, make sure you are eating at least three meals daily. This is important to ensure you get all the nutrients you need to recover from the birth as well as helping you make milk if you are breastfeeding.

We advise the following to ensure you maintain a nutritious and healthy diet.

  • Eat a variety of different coloured fruit and vegetables daily.  These provide vitamins and minerals for your immune system and overall health.
  • Eat plenty of breads and cereals which include wholegrains, rice and pasta for energy.
  • Eat protein every day including meat, chicken, fish, eggs and cheese. Protein helps to repair tissues and
… read more »

Warm up with a hearty bowl of Bean and Kale soup

by (Dietitian & Sports Dietitian)

Recipe adapted from Good Taste magazine via Body & Soul

Serves 4 (prep 20 mins + 8 hours soaking time, cooking 1 hr 20)
1 cup dried beans – any type; black beans or borlotti work well
1 tbs olive oil
1 large brown onion finely chopped
2 carrots finely chopped
2 celery sticks finely chopped
2 garlic cloves crushed (or 1tsp minced garlic)
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1/4 tsp chilli flakes
400g  no added salt tinned diced tomatoes
1tbs no added salt tomato paste
5 cups (1.25L) water
1 bunch kale, stalks trimmed and shredded
Pepper to taste
Method:
Place beans in a bowl and cover with cold water. Soak for 8 hours and drain. *If pressed for time and using tinned beans in place of dried beans, you will not need to soak them)
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add onion, carrot and celery. Stir occasionally, cooking for 6-7 mins or until soft.
Add garlic, thyme and chilli. Stir for 1 minute then add tomato paste, and stir for another minute.
Add beans, diced tomato and water to the saucepan. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered,
… read more »

Satisfying the munchies

by (Dietitian & Sports Dietitian)

Snacks are an important inclusion to the daily dietary intake to help top up your energy stores and keep you going throughout the day. In today’s society we are quite time poor and resort to quick and readily available foods which tend to be nutrient poor and high in energy such as chips and chocolate. This makes it difficult to achieve a healthy intake. For many individuals, poor snack choices can lead to unwanted weight gain and overall poor health.  Snacks which are nutritious can assist with increasing concentration and therefore work productivity, increase energy levels as well as provide key nutrients for health. When you’re next stuck for ideas to satisfy the munchies between main meals try one of my top 6 snack ideas below.

 

1.      SEASONAL FRUITS

Enjoy the broad variety of winter fruits which are starting to appear in local supermarkets; apples, grapefruit, mandarins and oranges. 1 serve of fruit will provide a low energy snack (approximately half the calories of 5 small squares of plain milk chocolate) that is also full of fibre, vitamins and minerals which are important for gut health, immune function, blood sugar control and other key bodily functions. It will satisfy … read more »

Emma Morris

by (Dietitian & Sports Dietitian)

Emma Morris is a highly qualified and experienced Dietitian and Sports Dietitian. She has a Bachelor of Applied Science in Human Movement as well as a Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics.

As well as practicing full time at Stay Tuned Sports Medicine, Emma is also the Dietitian for Williamstown Football Club and regularly presents to a variety of sporting clubs.

Emma will help you get off the dieting merry-go-round and assist you to make changes that will stay with you over your lifetime.… read more »

Vitamin D

by (Dietitian & Sports Dietitian)

Vitamin DVitamin D is a group of fat-soluble secosteroids. In humans, vitamin D is unique because it can be ingested and because the body can also synthesize it (from cholesterol) when sun exposure is adequate (hence its nickname, the “sunshine vitamin”).

Although vitamin D is commonly called a vitamin, it is not actually an essential dietary vitamin in the strict sense, as it can be synthesized in adequate amounts by all mammals from sunlight. An organic chemical compound (or related set of compounds) is only scientifically called a vitamin when it cannot be synthesized in sufficient quantities by an organism, and must be obtained from the diet. However, as with other compounds commonly called vitamins, vitamin D was discovered in an effort to find the dietary substance that was lacking in a disease, namely, rickets the childhood form of osteomalacia. Additionally, like other compounds called vitamins, in the developed world vitamin D is added to staple foods, such as milk, to avoid disease due to deficiency.

Vitamin D exists in two forms.

Sources of Vitamin D
Vitamin D2 is obtained from the UV irradiation of the yeast sterol ergosterol and is found naturally in sun-exposed mushrooms. Human beings do not make vitamin D2.

Humans synthesize … read more »

Sports Nutrition 101 – Beach Volleyball

by (Dietitian & Sports Dietitian)

Healthy eating is the back bone of a fit and trim volleyball player. A diet which is high in carbohydrate and protein is important to maintain strength and agility throughout the day. Every player will have individual requirements and these will be determined by frequency of training and playing, the weather conditions and the size to the athlete.  Eating and drinking throughout training sessions and competitions can assist with meeting nutritional requirements and replenish carbohydrate stores and maintaining muscle mass.

Fluid Needs

Individual sweat losses and weather conditions are the main factors in determining someone fluids requirements. It is important to maintain regular hydration and replace any fluid debt, particularly during longer games and hotter weather, for optimal concentration. Water is a good option and for those hotter days and heavy sweaters sports drink or an electrolyte replacement may assist.

Pre-Event Eating

A meal or snack should be consumed 1-2 hours prior to the start of the playing. It is important to choose food that sits well in your stomach.

Some high carbohydrate choices are:

  • Jam or honey sandwich
  • Yoghurt and fruit
  • Rice pudding
  • Sustagen Sport
  • Fruit smoothie
  • Cereal
  • Cereal Bar

Fluid and Carbohydrate Intake During Exercise – Events 1-3

… read more »