The Ideal Nutrition Blog | Ideal Nutrition

07May 2021 by Leah Higl

The Gut Microbiome & Low FODMAP Diet

Other

The low FODMAP diet, created in Melbourne Australia, is one of the best, evidence-based ways to manage irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). However, it is also a very restrictive diet that limits a whole host of healthy foods that would otherwise nurture and improve our gut health. If you are on this diet for a long period of time to investigate your IBS triggers, it is a good idea to take extra steps to ensure that your gut microbiome is nurtured and not neglected. What Is The Low FODMAP Diet? FODMAPs are short chain carbohydrates that are not well digested by the body. Instead of being broken down completely, they ferment in the gut. Which is actually part of the reason they are beneficial for gut health. But for people suffering from…

07May 2021 by Aidan Muir

Pros and Cons of Reverse Dieting

Body Composition

Reverse dieting gained massive traction some time almost a decade ago. It looked like this almost too good to be true strategy that could be useful for speeding up your metabolism and allowing you to eat more food without gaining weight. It could help to build better relationships with food, allow you to eat more food and manage your appetite better, while also allowing you more calories to use as fuel for your training. It is NOT a weight loss tool. Increasing the number of calories, you maintain your weight on could set you up for future weight loss. But reverse dieting itself is not designed for weight loss. The definition I use for reverse dieting is that it involves slowly and systematically increasing calories at the end of a…

30Apr 2021 by Leah Higl

Low FODMAP Bread Options in Australia

GI Disorders

In most households, bread is an absolute staple. However, bread made of wheat flour is typically high in fructans which are a type of short-chain carbohydrate that is resistant to digestion. If you are on a low FODMAP diet or find fructans to be a particular issue for you, you may be looking for a good alternative. Luckily, the variety of low FODMAP bread has boomed over recent years and is now fairly accessible. In many cases, people can consume fructans without any symptoms at all and these fermentable carbohydrates can even contribute to good gut health. But for those who suffer from a sensitive tummy or IBS, there may be a limited threshold for fructans and they may experience gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, and/or abdominal pain when consumed. But…

28Apr 2021 by Leah Higl

Are Food Sensitivity Tests Accurate?

Health

Food intolerance or food sensitivity tests have been around for a little while now, with many companies charging hundreds of dollars to tell you what foods are giving you grief. But how accurate are these tests? And are they really worth the money? Unfortunately, they are about as accurate and helpful as an online “Which character from Friends are you?” quiz. So whilst they may be a bit of fun, the result doesn't really mean anything. And they definitely should not inform any dietary or lifestyle changes. If anything, having these results tell you that you are intolerant to lots of different foods may even have a negative impact on your health. You may unnecessarily cut out food groups from your diet resulting in nutrient deficiencies or it may cause anxiety…

21Apr 2021 by Leah Higl

Coeliac Disease: A Dietitian’s Guide

Health

Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disease that causes the body to react abnormally to gluten consumption. Even very minuet amounts can cause a reaction. Gluten is found predominantly in wheat, rye, triticale, and barely. Although there are small amounts in oats (which is a complicated topic) and ingredients made from the above grains such as malted barley, wheat starch and maltodextrin. Unlike IBS where foods that cause a reaction can be consumed with no long-term damage occurring. Gluten consumption with coeliac disease does cause damage to the small intestine even when no symptoms are present. The small intestine is where most nutrients are absorbed when passing through the digestive tract. So significant damage to the small intestine can reduce the absorption of nutrients and result in deficiencies. The lining of…

21Apr 2021 by Aidan Muir

Probiotics for Immunity in Athletes

Sports

With almost all supplements that athletes take, the goal is for them to directly translate towards them being some variation on bigger, leaner, stronger and/or faster. And while there is debate about whether probiotics can contribute to those aspects, there is emerging research that is relatively compelling that probiotics can help improve immunity. Improved immunity does not directly improve any of those characteristics. But if you are able to train more consistently, and also have less of your sessions impacted negatively by lingering illnesses, it is likely going to have a carry over into improved performance. Why Is This Relevant? Upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) appear to be the most relevant area where probiotics help improve outcomes. Probiotics also have solid evidence when it comes to gastrointestinal concerns, but for…

16Apr 2021 by Aidan Muir

Nutrition for Endometriosis: A Dietitian’s Guide

Health

Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the tissue that normally lines the inside of your uterus (the endometrium) grows outside your uterus. The condition affects roughly 1 in 10 women of childbearing age. It is often painful and comes with a host of symptoms that can impact quality of life. Instead of viewing nutrition as a solution for endometriosis, it makes sense to view it as something that can help to manage some of the symptoms. Symptoms that are typically of relevance for endometriosis are: Painful periodsPain during sexual intercourse.Pain with bowel movements or urination, particularly around the time of menstruation.Heavy bleeding during a period, or sometimes even between periods.Infertility.Fatigue.Intense cramping.IBS – diarrhea, constipation, bloating and nausea. Often worse during periods. There are far more impactful ways of…

09Apr 2021 by Leah Higl

6 Tests You Should Get if You Are Vegan

Health

Blood and urine tests can tell you a lot about your general health, including if you are getting adequate micronutrients through your diet. This is particularly useful as a vegan since many vitamins and minerals are more difficult to consume in sufficient amounts. However, these types of test can be done for every single nutrient. For example, testing calcium concentration in your blood does not tell you anything about how much calcium is provided through your diet. This is because calcium in the blood is tightly controlled. If your dietary intake is inadequate, additional calcium is simply taken from your bones. Zinc is another good example. Dietary intake for zinc is an issue for some vegans, particularly men who have very high requirements. But zinc levels from blood tests do…

09Apr 2021 by Leah Higl

Mindful Eating: A Dietitian’s Guide

Health

In a world that is always going 100 miles an hour, it can be easy to get caught up in it all and forget to stop and smell the roses. Or in this case, stop to enjoy that delicious homemade stir-fry or the ice-cream sandwich for dessert. Research shows that those who take up mindful eating practices are less likely to binge eat or eat for emotional satisfaction. They are also more in tune with their body's internal hunger and satiety signals. Mindless eating on the other hand has been linked to over eating and increased stress and anxiety. The Difference Between Mindful Eating & Intuitive Eating Mindful eating and intuitive eating get confused all of the time. This is likely because the essence of these two ideologies is very…

06Apr 2021 by Leah Higl

10 Facts People Don’t Know About Nutrition

Health

Nutrition as well as the health and fitness industry in general, can be a very confusing space. This confusion relates to the sheer volume of information available to us at any one time. No matter the social media platform, there is a sea of voices all chiming in on different topics of food and nutrition. Doctors, dietitians, nutritionists, personal trainers, fitness influencers, health coaches and naturopaths all have something to say about nutrition and often there are many conflicting points of view. It’s hard to know who to trust. Anyone can publish information about nutrition and many people do without adequate knowledge. To help to clear up some misinformation, here are the top 10 facts that most people don’t know about nutrition: 1. Nutrition is a science. You’ve eaten all…

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