Whisk of Health

One of the downsides of eating out is not knowing the nutritional value of the meals eaten 😒- with work lunches being our top contender! Saturated fats can often be found in salads 🥗, so how about trying something that incorporates good fats?
Tuna Salad
🔸Small can of tuna (in springwater), drained
🔸1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (✅GOOD FAT)
🔸1 boiled egg, halved
🔸1 cup mixed salad leaves
🔸½ cup of drained chickpeas (which I completely forgot to add!)
🔸1 tsp lemon juice
🔸½ of an avocado (✅GOOD FAT)
🔸Handful of kalamata olives
🔸1 red radish, sliced
You can mix it up and add cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber and red onion. Make it your own, as long as you’re adding good fats!

✨HAPPY MONDAY WHISKERS✨

For the next 3 weeks we’ll be talking all things macro’s (or macronutrients). It seems like so many fitness buffs talk about it, so what’s the fuss? Keep an eye 👁 out as we keep you in the loop!!
This week will be all about FATS 😱😱
We will try to shed light on what is considered bad fats and good fats. So follow us here as we uncover myths, recipes and facts about this beast of a macro!
Get your nerd on whiskers 🤓 and have a great week!

Harvest Bowl🥣
We LOVE easy meals - but we also love easy AND tasty recipes 🍲. Try our harvest bowl with Tahini dressing for your next take-to-work lunch!🏢
Learn how to make these super easy bowls on our website (link in profile).
Monica

When exercising we need to ensure we are eating the right amount of all nutrients to fuel our bodies before and after working out🏋🏼‍♀️🏃🏽‍♂️
American College of Sports Medicine makes recommendations regarding the adequate intake of carbohydrates and protein before workouts in order to:
Ensure body weight is maintained
Refill glycogen stores (energy source for cells)
Provide protein in order to repair and build new muscle cells for growth.
Total daily intake of protein for building muscle when undertaking resistance training is 1.6g/Kg of body weight. This would equate to 0.4g/Kg of protein in a pre-workout meal (assuming 4 meals daily). This would equate to 20-28 grams of protein a meal for a 50-70Kg adult
Mary & Nicole ✌🏽

Need some inspo on portioned meals? It doesn’t have to be anything fancy- just follow the simple plate method! 💭
-- ½ plate veggies 🤲🏽
-- ¼ protein ✋🏽
-- ¼ carbohydrates 🤜🏽
Here we have a simple plate of ½ baby spinach and green beans with ½ portioned marinated chicken breast and ½ a plate of roasted potatoes
How would you use the plate method? Let us know in the comment section below!

Healthy plate model 🍽
Ever thought about your portion sizes? This simple plate model can act as a guide! 🧾
A healthy plate includes:
— ¼ of your plate to be a source of lean protein
A serve is the size of your palm ✋🏼
— ¼ of your plate to be low GI carbohydrates (such as wholegrains or starchy veggies 🥔)
A serve is the size of your 🤜🏼
— ½ of your plate should be filled with a mix of colourful veggies 🍅🍆🥑🥦
A serve is the size of 2 handfuls 🤲🏼
If you don’t want to weigh your food ⚖, just go with the serving sizes listed above ✋🏼🤜🏼🤲🏼 , but if you’re interested in weighing your food, reach out to us so we can provide further details on portion sizes ℹ
This healthy plate model is for adults (18yo and over). Children would have different requirements as they require more energy and nutrients
Nicole ✌🏽

Do diets that predominantly consist of plant based foods affect muscle and stamina levels? 🤔 You may want to be sure you’re getting the right amount of nutrients if you want to get the best out of your workout 🏋️‍♀️
In general, a vegan diet can provide more fibre, antioxidants, micronutrients and carbohydrates. However, a plant based diet can also be lower in protein, fats, calcium, B12 vitamin, iron and more. To counteract these deficiencies, vegans are required to pay more attention to the selection of foods they’re consuming, especially when exercising. Due to plant based products containing more fibre, early satiety can be the downfall when wanting our bodies to meet its nutritional needs. This in turn can consequently affect our performance long term.
Here are some examples of food items that are great for increased physical performance:
🔸PROTEIN is essential when it comes to muscle repair. Hence why it is important to have a meal with protein right after a workout. Some examples of vegan foods that are high in protein include almonds, oats, tofu, quinoa, lentils and legumes (Combine your protein sources to ensure that you are getting more out of your meals)
🔸IRON is responsible for carrying oxygen to our organs so if deficient we can easily feel fatigued. Some great plant based products that contain iron include legumes, grains, green vegetables, nuts, fortified foods and seeds. (remember to have iron foods with items that contain vitamin C to help with the absorption of iron)
🔸CALCIUM is needed to help keep our bones strong and healthy, so it’s a no brainer for exercise performance. Some plant based products that contain calcium include tofu, fortified plant milks and juices, broccoli, kale and cauliflower
If you want to more information don’t forget to consult with a Dietitian 😎

How’s this for easy 😍😍- a protein packed breakfast (or lunch!) that just so happens to be vegan 🌱 Can we get a hell YEAH!? 🙌🏼🙌🏼
Tofu scramble:
What You Need:
🔸250g firm tofu, crumbled
🔸1 cup baby spinach
🔸1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
🔸1 tomato, diced
🔸1 medium yellow onion, diced
🔸1 red pepper (capsicum), diced
🔸1/2 tsp turmeric
🔸1 tsp garlic powder
🔸Salt & pepper to taste (make sure you are not using more than a tsp on salt)
🔸Wholemeal toast (to serve with)

How to Make it:

1️⃣ Heat olive oil in a pan on medium high. Add the diced onion. Sauté for a few seconds.
2️⃣ Add spices and stir in until aromatic. Add in diced tomato and red pepper, stirring for a few minutes.
3️⃣ Stir in the crumbled tofu, making sure it is coated with the spices. Leave for 1 minute.
4️⃣ Turn off the heat and add your spinach. The residual heat will allow the spinach to wilt.
5️⃣ Serve on wholemeal toast and 🥑!!
How would you eat our tofu scramble?? Let us know in the comment section below!! 👇👇

Now this is a week we know a lot of people will be interested in! In the past few years we’ve noticed a growing trend of individuals opting for plant-based foods as part of their diet, whether it be for health, environmental, or moral reasons. Whatever the backstory, we need to ensure we are not compromising on our overall health (because you know, health is our greatest wealth right?).
So what is a vegan diet? 🌱
A Vegan diet is basically a type of vegetarian diet where only plant based products are consumed. It is to abstain from consuming any animal products completely.
A Vegan diet can tend to be heavy in carbohydrates due to the increased intake of grains, breads and starchy vegetables. Higher intake of carbohydrates 🍞🍟🍞 (more than the recommended serves per day) may lead to weight gain.
However, a vegan diet can be a highly nutritious choice, as it is low in saturated fat and rich in nutrients, vitamins and minerals. If you properly plan your meals, you can avoid some health risks.

Happy Friday Whiskers! What better way to start off your weekend than to show you a super cool chart with super cool information? (it’s actually pretty cool 😎)
This is the Australian guide to healthy eating (AGHE) containing the five main food groups that is recommended for daily consumption.

The food groups are:
🔸Vegetables and legumes/beans
🔸Fruits
🔸Reduced fat dairy products
🔸Lean meats
🔸Grains
Most of us were taught about the food pyramid growing up (🎶walk like the Egyptian🎶). But of course it has evolved as we gain more scientific based information about the foods we put into our bodies. This modern chart visually represents the proportion of the 5 food groups, with the highest required intake being veggies and grains.
But why do we need a food chart/pyramid?
It’s main aim is to promote The following:
🔸healthy eating and weight control
🔸Reduce the risk of chronic diseases
🔸Reduce the risk of diet-related conditions (such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure...etc)
This is ideal for maintaining weight and making sure you’re receiving the essential vitamins and minerals. However, this does not apply to people who need special dietary advice for specific medical conditions or to those who are elderly. This is why we tell you to always ensure you consult a certified Dietitian before making any drastic changes to your current diet ✌🏼
If you want to read more about the Australian Guide to healthy eating, visit the website (link in profile)

Most of us think that healthy eating means spending more 💰💰on fancy health foods, which is why we almost always opt for the cheap junk containing no nutritional value whatsoever.
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We’re here to tell you that not only is this a total myth, but we are ABSOLUTELY certain that you can eat well on a budget by following these tips:
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✔️Buy fruits and veggies that are in season as they are normally cheaper due to their abundance
✔️Buy frozen veggie bags from the supermarket (they last for months in the freezer too!)
✔️Organise yourself by making a list of ingredients needed for the week and do your shopping on the weekend (link to blog post on profile).
✔️Avoid eating out or ordering take away to prevent going over your weekly budget.
✔️Try to do your grocery shopping after having a good meal. Shopping while you’re hungry can lead to buying unnecessary/extra foods
✔️If you’ve made more food than needed, make sure to store them in containers and freeze them- or just take to work the next day! Food waste is a not an option here 😌
✔️Familiarise yourself with the prices of your regular products so you can compare it and check if there are cheaper brands with similar health benefits
✔️Look for reductions on produce and meats. I find that the specials sections has some great prices on foods you would otherwise pay a hefty amount on.
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Watch your money 🌳 grow within a short amount of weeks!

Ready to start that “healthy diet” you promised you would do beginning Monday? (for like the 11th time?) 😝
Many people believe that eating healthy = restrictive diets and paying big bucks on the best health products available on the market. But eating ‘healthy’ is not meant to be seen as a form of punishment😰. To eat well is to simply eat a well balanced diet full of vegetables, fruits, grains, poultry/meat/beans and dairy or dairy alternatives. It is to fuel our bodies with the right nutrients. So we shouldn’t see healthy eating as a diet, but rather a lifestyle that is both abundant and exciting (yes, healthy eating can be exciting!). This week we’ll debunk the myth that eating healthy is super expensive along with some delicious recipes 🤤
Remember: Eating healthy is actually eating normally. Happy Monday Whiskers!

Roasted veggies anyone? A great way to incorporate veggies to your weekly dinners! Budget friendly and super easy too!! 😋

We’re constantly told to eat wholemeal based bread over white bread🍞🍞. So what’s the fuss about wholegrains?
Whole Grains are the unrefined grains that still holds its physiological parts in contrast to refined grains (such as white bread ❌), and carry many health benefits when consumed. They are normally higher in fibre which means they keep us feeling fuller for longer 😌 This is a total bonus for those managing their weight!
Consuming wholegrain foods have been linked to lowering the risk of several chronic diseases, SO remember to fill up on that brown rice!🍚🍚
❗️❗️YES YOU CAN EAT RICE- try basmati rice as it’s lower in GI❗️❗️

Need to fix together a quick lunch? These harvest bowls boast everything you’re after: easy, nutritious, and of course- DELICIOUS! Give this vegan 🌱 harvest bowl a try and tag us!
Vegan Harvest Bowl

🔸1 cucumber, diced
🔸A handful of Kalamata olives
🔸A handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
🔸Half a yellow capsicum, cut into julienne pieces
🔸 1/4 cup cooked quinoa and or brown rice
🔸 1 dollop of hummus with a drizzle of olive oil on top

Did you know that caffeine is considered to be one of the most widely used drugs around the world? 😱 And it’s no wonder. We consume it in the form of coffee, tea, and even cocoa! But should you hold off having your second cup of joe? ☕️☕️
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‘Caffeinism’ is the abnormal condition caused by the excessive consumption of caffeine, and is marked by symptoms including anxiety, insomnia, nervousness, irritability, increased heart rate💓, and nausea 🤢. Caffeine can be especially dangerous if you already have heart problems.
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So what can you do to prevent getting caffeinism? Start by reducing your coffee to one cup a day max if you’re already consuming a few on the daily. Consuming small amounts everyday can drastically reduce the likelihood of experiencing any of the above symptoms.
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Always ensure you consult a certified Dietitian before making any drastic changes to your current diet.

Need more energy but work killer hours? 😰 Have you tried incorporating exercise at work?
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Most of us drink copious amounts of coffee to get through the day. We choose to drink caffeine not only for the taste, but to help prevent the occasional yawns at our desks and awkward naps during our meetings.
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In order to remain alert we need to keep ourselves stimulated by moving, so what better way to do that than by doing little exercises at work! It’s SUPER easy too!
Here are some tips to help you incorporate exercise at work:
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1. Instead of sending an email to a colleague, walk over to their desk and discuss. Keeps us moving and socialising 🖥🗣
2. Sitting down for long periods of time has proven to be bad for us. So request a stand up desk if possible.

3. Taking micro breaks (10 minutes) to walk around the office, helping blood flow.
🚶🏼‍♂️🚶🏼‍♀️

4. Opt for the stairs instead of the elevator. This will help keep your bones and muscles strong 💪🏼💪🏼

5. Go for walks outside the office and grab a partner. This will motivate you to go outside and soak up that vitamin D 🌞
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Remember 30min a day of exercise is recommended to keep our bodies healthy. So try incorporating it during work. This way, you’re hitting your daily target!
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Peace ✌🏼Mary

Heya Whiskers! Thank Facts it’s Friday! And we’re about to get saltyyyy 🧂🧂
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Did you know that salt acts as a food preservative? It works to preserve foods by warding off any bacteria from growing (say no to food poisoning ❌ 🙅‍♀️) and preventing the food discolouration. This method of preservation has long been used since ancient times and has continued to take the lead in the culinary world today. We use it to cure our meats and pickle our vegetables- but is the extra salt doing more harm to our bodies than good?
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Whilst there is nothing wrong with eating foods such as smoked salmon and kimchi, we need to keep in mind that there are foods that already contain an excessive amount of sodium (such as ham and bacon). The added salt is not only unnecessary, but detrimental to our health if no caution is taken.
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So what can we do about it? Check out one of our previous posts on ways to reduce sodium intake (How Can I Reduce My Sodium Intake?). Just being generally aware of the foods we put into our bodies is enough to push forward to living our best lives full of energy and zest! 💃🏻🍋🍋
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Always ensure you consult a certified Dietitian before making any drastic changes to your current diet.

One of the many reasons why I love the cooler months is soup, and copious amounts of it. We’ve been so obsessed with this roasted garlic cauliflower soup lately that we just HAD to share! 🍲🍲
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It’s super easy, and easily the best choice for leftovers- give it a try!! Click here for the recipe: https://www.whiskofhealth.com/dinner/2019/4/20/roasted-garlic-cauliflower-soup
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Here are some super handy tips to help reduce your sodium intake 🧂🧂
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Try and incorporate more fresh foods and lower your consumption of ready made meals (frozen dinner meals etc)
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Opt for ‘fresh frozen’ bags (frozen veggies etc) that do not contain added seasonings or sauces
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Read those labels! You’ll be surprised how much salt is listed on almost everything. Aim for less than 120mg/100g per serve)
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Compare brands of the same food item (each brand contains different sodium content)
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Select spices or seasonings that do not list sodium on their labels (garlic powder over garlic salt)
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If dining out, ask for the dish to be served without salt so you can control the amount you put in with a salt shaker.
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Beware of products that don’t normally taste salty but still have high sodium content (cottage cheese)
Do you have any handy tips?? Let us know in the comment section below!!

To have a healthy balanced diet, we need a healthy dose of salt, however, Australians are now consuming more salt than ever before, and it’s increasing alarm bells.
High blood pressure is one of Australia’s biggest killers, and is caused by the high dietary intake of salt. This soon becomes a risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and chronic kidney disease, so the more salt you consume, the higher your blood pressure. And the higher your blood pressure, the greater pressure on your heart and kidneys.
Surprisingly, most of the salt consumed by Australians comes from processed and packaged foods, not just from the salt added during cooking or when seasoning meals.
Another word used for salt is ‘Sodium’ - so watch out for this key ingredient when reading packaged foods!.

Please ensure you consult a certified Dietitian when discussing your salt intake. Every individual is different so our dietary needs will also vary.

Thank facts it's Friday! Do you have your coffee ready? ☕️ ‘cause we’re about to talk oils!!! 🙌🏼🙌🏼
Did you know that the majority of fats and oils are damaged when they get exposed to high heat? Because of this, we usually opt for cooking oils that have a higher smoke point (higher smoke point = better cooking in high temperatures)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) is one of the few fats that performs extremely well under pressure (contrary to what we’ve been told previously). This is because they contain mostly monounsaturated fatty acids (73%), which are largely resistant to heat; making them the perfect oil to cook with.
EVOO is high in vitamin E and contains many antioxidants, so cooking with it will not only give you the added benefits, but won’t get lost in the cooking process. There are studies indicating that high heat and prolonged cooking may remove EVOO’s beneficial compounds, but more recent studies have suggested that EVOO is not only an excellent cooking oil but also is one of the best compared to others (including coconut oil).

Not convinced? If you’re game, read this study on olive oil and it’s amazing stability under deep-frying conditions:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20678538

Do you want to improve your endurance when exercising?? Eating predominantly Mediterranean based foods can definitely help increase endurance 🏃‍♀️🏃🏻‍♂️according to numerous studies. One such study completed and published in the ‘Journal of the American College of Nutrition’, gathered participants to analyze the effects of exercise on a Mediterranean diet and a western diet. They found that participants on the med diet experienced increased endurance performance in as little as 4 days (is that super quick or what?).
Give this lifestyle a go and see if you experience the difference! 🤩🤩
Always remember to consult your GP prior to making any changes to your current diet.

# lifestyle

Easy Baked Fish

What’s more Mediterranean than a fish bake? Nothing. Try this recipe out and let us know what you think! Recipe link in profile

Don’t forget to tag us!

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