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well being
One lump or two? With warmer weather just around the corner, now is the time many of us start thinking about looking and feeling great for those glorious, if fleeting, summer months. Everyone wants to feel confident in beachwear and summer dresses. So what is it that’s holding us back? Former professional tennis player, Sarah Jones, who now works locally in sport’s coaching, went on a mission to find out what can be done to keep our health and fitness in tip-top condition. First on my radar, sugar elimination. Sugar seems to be on everyone’s lips in one way or another at the moment, and I want to find out exactly what it is that makes us crave all kinds of sugary-sweet processed snacks, even though we know they are bad for us. I met up with Kit Chamier, Registered Sport and Exercise Nutritionist at Chateau Vermont Gym, for some of the answers. The first thing we need to know is that sugar in itself isn’t in fact addictive. ‘It is our reaction to the feeling we get from eating refined sugars that our body craves, not the sugar itself,’ says Kit. Nonetheless, we are still consuming far more of this unnatural substance than ever before, so what effect is it having on our bodies? ‘Initially, it is our insulin levels that suffer, the hormone which helps regulate our blood sugar levels. Our body can only pull a limited amount of glucose into our muscles to burn off throughout the day, which means any remaining glucose from excessive consumption of refined sugars is left in our blood stream. This can lead to type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, strokes and high blood pressure, to name but a few conditions.’ I’m sure I’m not the only one surprised by just how serious the side effects of our mid-afternoon sugary snack can be. However, it’s not all bad news, there are alternatives out there for those for us with a sweet tooth who also want to be healthy. Kit tells me, ‘the most nutritious source of fructose, a natural sugar, is fruit, with blueberries and strawberries containing this. Alternatively, honey and agave syrup, the raw
juice from the tequilana plant, can also be included as part of a healthy diet if used sparingly.’ As far as food labels go, we should be looking out for sucrose, dextrose, lactose, high fructose corn syrup, evaporated cane juice, malt syrup and molasses when deciding whether a product is really healthy or not. I ask Kit, as a nutritionist in Jersey, what are the most common diet deficiencies that he sees? ‘Definitely Omega-3, which is surprising, considering that we live on an island surrounded by sea, with a rich supply of seafood readily available.’ For all of us wanting to increase our Omega-3 levels, the best sources are salmon, mackerel and sardines as well as nuts and seeds. And the best general nutrition advice Kit could offer the people of Jersey as a whole? ‘Eat less processed foods, keep away from fizzy drinks and eat more natural, fresh foods. If you change things gradually, using small, achievable and realistic goals, then anyone can lead a healthy lifestyle.’ This interview has certainly given me a lot to think about, and opened my eyes to which foods are, and are not, essential for leading a healthy and balanced lifestyle. I think I’ll pass on that next offer of a chocolate biscuit and have an apple instead. Kit Chamier is available for both face-to-face and online consultations and diet plans. Visit www.kitchamier.com or www.chateauvermontgym.com for more details.u Above: Kit Chamier works at Chateau Vermont Gym
Page20 Edition12 2014