Coffee On An Empty Stomach?

A friend of mine, who is an avid coffee drinker, recently wrote me asking:

"What are the effects of having a coffee or latte on an empty stomach? How bad is it?" -L.H.

One of the major reasons that people consume coffee beverages for is the jolt of caffeine. However, caffeine is a stimulant and therefore tends to increase the motility of our G.I. tracts (this can be why people may have to make frequent bathroom trips after a cup or two!). Coffee and tea should also be avoided for those individuals suffering from G.I. ulcers as coffee and tea are acidic and can easily aggravate an already painful ulcer. Latte's would have the same effect as coffee, but perhaps less as lattes usually contain less coffee and more foam and cream. Another reason that coffee may upset someone's stomach is if the person is lactose intolerant at any level and has added milk or cream to their coffee. So while coffee isn't harmful for your stomach or intestinal tract without any food in it, for those with sensitive stomachs and bowels, you may find you get less cramped and bloated if you drink your coffee with a meal.

All that being said, enjoy your coffee, but don't forget your body still needs about 8-12 cups of water everyday and coffee has the ability to displace fluids by acting as a diuretic. Make sure if you are going to enjoy a cup or two of coffee, try to balance it out with a cup or two of water to meet your body's H₂O needs!

A Tale of 2 Fibres

How many foods can you name right now that are good sources of fibre? Whole grains, lentils, oats, rye flour, avocados, soybeans, lemons...and wait, did I just say avocados? And soybeans and lemons? I certainly did. You might find it surprising that the last three foods are good sources of fibre! In fact, when most people are asked to think of fibre sources, grain products are usually the first and only to come to mind. What you might also find surprising, is that there are actually TWO kinds of fibre in our foods!

That's right, what we normally call 'fibre' is actually broken down into 'soluble fibre' and insoluble fibre'. Soluble fibre forms a gel in our G.I. tract and is then digested by bacteria in our colon. Soluble fibres are beneficial for their possible roles in lowering blood cholesterol and protecting against heart disease and diabetes. ¹ Foods high in soluble fibres include oats, barley, apples and citrus fruits, and seeds and husks. ²

Insoluble fibres do not form gels in out G.I. tract and therefore the bacteria in our colon cannot digest them like they can soluble fibres. These fibres play vital roles in promoting colon health by bulking up stool and alleviating difficult bowel movements. The best sources for this type of fibre are brown rice, legumes, whole grains, and vegetables such as cabbage, carrots and brussels sprouts. ²


So the next time you thinking about biting into an apple, remember that just one apple alone provides your diet with about 3 grams of fibre!


¹ N.R. Sahyoan and coauthors, Whole-grain intake is inversely associated with metablolic syndrome and mortality in older adults, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 83 (2006): 124-131; B. M Davy and C.L. Melby, The effect of fiber-rich carbohydrates on features of Syndrome X, Journal of the American Dietetic Association 103 (2003): 86-96.
² E. Whitney, S. Rady Rolfes, The Carbohydrates: Sugars, Starches, and Fibers, Understanding Nutrition (2009): 106-123.

The Great Debate: Carbohydrates Vs. Protein

I would definitely call myself a "carb-aholic", I almost always consume a diet high in carbs (about 60% of my energy intake) and I was favourably against the Atkin's diet when it was so popular a few years ago. In fact, I even bought myself a shirt that said "I Eat Carbs" and wore it around my few friends who were on the Atkin's diet.

So when I started working out 5-7 days a week, I never thought to change my dietary habits beyond controlling my fat intake more strictly. However, one thing I've always noticed is that my hunger goes through the roof when I exercise so frequently. This should come as no surprise as I've often heard the saying "If you're going to work out like an athlete, you need to eat like one." But even increasing my food intake (in a healthy manner) still doesn't always battle the hunger pains; I find myself late at night sneaking into the kitchen for a bite and then having to pay for it with cardio the following day. Needless to say I was very interested when I came across an article the other night that discussed this same issue. A 2004 study conducted by Carol Johnston, Sherrie Tjonn, and Pamela Swan followed people consuming either a low-fat, high-carbohydrate (60% energy) diet or a low-fat, high-protein (30% energy) diet. The study showed that while both diets were equally effective for reducing body weight and fat mass and lowering total cholesterol and insulin, the high-protein diet subjects reported more satisfaction and less hunger a month into the trial. In fact, two subjects in the high-carbohydrate group withdrew from the study due to extreme hunger.¹

Although I may not recommend high-protein diets long term or protein-only diets (such as some bodybuilders will try), a snack after exercise consisting of both carbohydrates and protein may be a great way to keep hunger at bay. Chocolate milk is a great example; it's both a good source of protein and carbohydrates (besides being an excellent source of calcium and vitamin D!). Next time after a workout, walk, fitness class or whatever you do to get your exercise in, grab a glass of chocolate milk; even better if it's 1 % J




¹ Johnston, Carol S., Tjonn, Sherrie L., Swan, Pamela D. (2004) "High Protein, Low-Fat Diets Are Effective for Weight Loss and Favorably Alter Biomarkers in Healthy Adults".
    The Journal of Nutrition; Mar 2004; 134,, 3; ProQuest Nursing & Allied Health Source

POM-TASTIC :)

Unless you never shop at a grocery store, go to restaurants or order drinks at the nearby bar, you may have never heard of pomegranate. However, pomegranate is quickly becoming one of the most popular fruits around and has had a skyrocketing increase in demand in the past few years.

What Is A Pomegranate?                    

Pomegranate is the fruit that buds from a shrub native to the Middle East, probably why you haven't seen much of it on the market before the last few years. It is a small, very seedy, red fruit with a very tart yet sweet and often acquired taste.

Pomegranate isn't just available in its natural fruit form anymore, companies have added it to their dietary supplements, juices, ice creams, bath and body products and even restaurants and bars are serving drinks with its juice added such ast the Pomegrantini ( martini with pomegranate juice), the Pomegranate Cosmopolitan and the Orange Pomtini. StarBucks even has their own pomegranate smoothie!

What's All the Hype For?
Pomegranate has entered the spotlight in the past few years as a fruit that has a number of health benefits due to the high number of antioxidants contained in the fruit's juice and seeds. Antioxidants are compounds in foods that protect molecules (including our body's cells) from being damaged by ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species or free radicals). These ROS occur naturally in our body but accumulate more when our bodies are under high amounts of stress, frequently exercise and other conditions. ROS usually occur when a molecule loses an electron causing it to be unstable and dangerous to other molecules. Vitamin C is a great example of an antioxidant; vitamin C readily gives up an electron when in the presence of an ROS in order to neutralize it and protect other cells. Pomegranate is a very good source of vitamin C! Pomegranate juice is high in three different types of polyphenols, a potent form of antioxidants. The three types tannins, anthocyanins, and ellagic acid are present in many fruits, but pomegranate juice contains particularly high amounts of all three and the discovery of that has been why the popularity of pomegranate has skyrocketed. The antioxidants in pomegranates make them a great and beneficial fruit choice!


So This Pomtini Is Good For Me…Right?
Some of the biggest health benefits of antioxidants (including those in pomegranates) include the prevention of certain cancers such as prostate cancer and preventing plaque build-up in your arteries which can lead to heart disease.
In addition to those health benefits, pomegranates are high in vitamin C and potassium, a good source of fibre (particularly the seed itself) and are low in calories, which the majority of fruit are.      
Depending on whether you eat the whole fruit, just the seeds (arils) or only the juice, the amount of calories, carbohydrates, and fibre will vary, with the fat and protein remaining the same which is relatively low (less than a gram of each for about a 100 gram serving). When picking fresh pomegranates the skin should be tough, thin and unbroken to ensure that it's ripe and undamaged. However if you're making a food selection based on the health benefits of this fruit, choose with caution. Many companies are riding on the coattails of the pomegranate's popularity and are only adding the flavour, natural or articial to their products in the hope that consumers will purchase simply because pomegranate is listed in the name or ingredients. Many recipes are available and in a wide array of ideas such as adding it to dips, salads, drinks, and as a marinade or seasoning for main course dishes.


Many other fruits and vegetables such as blueberries and broccoli are also good sources of antioxidants so when consuming your 7-8 ( for women) and 8-10 (for men) servings of fruits and vegetables per day make sure to keep up a good variety. However the next time you're at the bar ordering a Pomtini, ask the bartender to make sure it's made with real pomegranate juice, that way your martini may have a health benefit or two!

Up And Running...(Almost)!

Hi Everyone,


This project in the wings for me has finally started to take off! While everything on this blog is so far minimal, I hope to add many more features including nutrition articles, answering reader questions, weekly exercises and healthy living recipes and a unique fruit and vegetable section, along with links to other great sights with healthy living information!


Please feel free to comment with suggestions and questions and we'll take this one day at a time!


Look for the first nutrition post in the upcoming days!


:)