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These Are The Questions Our Nutritionist Gets Asked The Most

21st September 2022

21st September 2022

By Catherine Hargreaves

Eleanor Thrupp is a registered Nutritional Therapist and personal trainer. From personal experiences she recognised her passion to explore the relationship between nutrition and wider health conditions in more depth. Her aim is to bring honesty, clarity and transparency to her practice and make nutrition as accessible and enjoyable as possible for her clients. 
As an accredited nutritionist (that's Dip-NT, mBANT, CNHC, ANP to you), you can bet that Eleanor gets asked a lot of questions. And some of these questions come up a lot. We sat down with Eleanor to find out which are the most common questions she gets asked - and get her answers once and for all! 
What are some good sources of plant protein? 

Plant proteins provide the nutrients required for growth and repair, as well as vitamins, minerals, fibre and low levels of saturated fat. 

Best plant sources of protein:

  • Tofu, tempeh and edamame all originate from soybeans. They contain iron, calcium and approximately 12-20g of protein per 100g serving. 
  • Beans (kidney, pinto, black) and chickpeas contain 15g of protein per cooked cup. They are also sources of fibre, iron and folate. 
  • Lentils contain 18g of protein per cooked cup. 
  • Nuts and seeds - a handful contains about 5-7g of protein. They are also sources of fibre, healthy fats, magnesium and iron. 
  • Quinoa provides 9g of protein per cooked cup. It is another good source of fibre and magnesium.
How much protein should I eat per day? 

    Each individual has different needs but on the whole adults need between 0.8 and 1.2g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. Those who are more active and exercise regularly will require more. Protein is essential for cell and organ function, as well as repairing and rebuilding muscle tissue after exercise. 

    Do I need to eat breakfast? 

      Breakfast used to be called the most essential meal of the day and while there certainly are some benefits to eating breakfast, it isn’t for everyone. It’s generally true that those who do eat a protein rich breakfast tend to eat less throughout the day and feel more energised. However, I would always advise children to eat breakfast as this will help improve cognitive performance as well as stop feelings of hunger and fatigue. 

      What are healthy fats?

        Healthy fats are unsaturated fats, like monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Polyunsaturated fats contain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids - helping to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease as well as improving mood and fighting inflammation. 

        Foods to include are oily fish (salmon, mackerel, anchovies), olive oil, avocados, nuts (walnuts) and seeds (pumpkin, sesame and flax seeds).  

        How many fruits and vegetables should I eat per day? 

          At least half of your plate should consist of fruits and vegetables. I always advise my clients to ‘eat the rainbow’ and have as much variety as possible as you can’t get all the nutrients you need from a single piece of fruit or vegetable. 

          Eating seasonally is also important because many nutrients decline over time. By eating seasonally, you are more likely to get the full nutritional benefits from the piece of fruit or vegetable. 

          What is the difference between probiotics and prebiotics? 

            Prebiotics (dietary fibre) are the indigestible components of food that are able to reach the large intestine, to feed our beneficial bacteria to promote its growth and function. 

            Probiotics however, are a combination of live beneficial bacteria and/or yeasts that naturally live in your body. 

            Is fibre good for me? 

              Dietary fibre from fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes can help maintain a healthy weight, lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels. Fibre also helps food pass through the digestive system, promoting regularity and preventing constipation. 

              How much caffeine is too much? 

                Up to 400 milligrams of caffeine per day is a safe amount for adults (that is roughly 4 cups per day). However, I advise my clients to aim for no more than three cups per day and to consume them before 1pm to avoid sleep disruption.

                What are superfoods? 

                  Nutritionally speaking, there is no such thing as a superfood but there are plenty of foods that are packed with nutritional goodness and naturally provide health benefits. 

                  Examples of nutritionally rich foods are blueberries (they contain antioxidants), garlic (contains allicin which is an active compound helping to fight infections), turmeric (contains curcumin which has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties) and dark leafy greens (they contain high levels of anti-inflammatory compounds known as carotenoids).

                  So there you have it - whilst you might not be quite ready for your own accreditation, you can be sure to have a super-smart answer prepped and ready next time someone asks you what a prebiotic is, or whether that sixth cup of coffee is okay or not. To learn more from Eleanor, you can book a Nutritionist Consultation session with her, to gain one to one feedback on your nutrition habits and goals.

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                  When it comes to improving your fitness levels, lifestyle and nutrition are key. From the number of hours of sleep you get each night to your daily nutrition and everything in between, each is as important as the other. This extends to finding the right protein powder to fuel your workout routine. Yet today more than ever, what goes into that shaker bottle now goes beyond macros and muscle; more and more people are asking themselves – ‘how does this protein powder align with my religious values and beliefs?’ While we’ve spoken before about our clean, research based and ethically sourced ingredients here at Innermost, this time we want to get a little more specific with a focus on halal and halal protein powder. With so many voices and fluff information around, it can be difficult to know exactly what protein is and isn’t halal friendly. That’s why we’ve put together this nifty guide. We’re going to break down all the myths and everything you need to know about halal protein. What you should be looking out for, what makes proteins like whey halal friendly as well as the benefits that halal friendly protein can offer to your body.  Right, let’s get into it. What is halal protein? I’m sure most of you are already aware of halal, but for the 1% of you that might not be, let’s take a step back and ask: what is halal protein? Halal – meaning ‘permissible’ in Arabic – refers to any food product that complies with Islamic dietary laws as stated within the Qur’an and Islamic jurisprudence. This makes it a core element of Islamic faith and a key cornerstone of their commitment to leading a pure and disciplined life under the guidance of Allah. Some of the key guidelines for halal foods include: Halal friendly ingredients – certain ingredients are not permissible under a halal diet, including pork (and any byproducts), alcohol and blood. Other animal products can be halal as long as they are killed in accordance with the ethical treatment guidelines below. Ethical treatment of animals – For non-pork meats to be considered halal, animals must be treated humanly and responsibly during their life. This includes: Having access to clean water and nutritious food. Being raised in a free-range and stress-free environment. Not being subjected to cruelty, abuse, or unnecessary suffering. The process of killing any animal must also be quick and humane to be considered halal, with any suffering kept to the complete minimum. Importantly, to be considered halal, the name of Allah must be pronounced during the humane killing to ensure the sanctity of life is recognised throughout the process. No cross contamination - During the preparation process, halal foods must never come into contact with non halal foods. This means no cross contamination between preparation surfaces, equipment used, the handling of foods and storage. As such, ingredients such as milk can be halal however it depends on the production process and if additional non-halal additives (such as gelatin) are added. So, what does this mean for protein?  Essentially any animal protein is halal as long as it adheres to the guidelines we’ve mentioned. The best way to tell is that products – such as Innermost proteins - will be certified halal friendly on the packaging. Is protein powder halal? So, with that said you might be wondering: is my choice of protein powder halal? The truth is that protein powder can absolutely be halal, however it entirely depends on the ingredients used as well as the overall production process. Common protein sources like whey, casein, egg white, and plant-based proteins (such as pea, soy, or rice) can all be halal if they are sourced and manufactured in compliance with halal standards. While many of the larger brands do not meet these standards and cannot claim to offer halal protein, our range of Innermost protein powders and supplements are all certified halal, emphasising our dedication to ethical sourcing our use of clean sourcing without additives. From our pea protein fuelled (and vegan) The Health Protein, The Fit Protein, to our whey protein powered The Strong Protein and The Lean Protein, all our products are sourced in a halal-compliant manner. Benefits of halal protein powder You hear it all the time when it comes to ethical and dietary beliefs – ‘a vegan diet isn’t good for you’ or ‘a vegetarian mix can’t possibly have the nutrients you need. The reality is, that adhering to these sorts of values within your fitness routine and diet can have great benefits for the body. Halal protein powders are no different; they offer a range of benefits for individuals who are conscious of both their health and dietary requirements. Just some of the benefits of halal protein powder are: Clean ingredients: With halal protein powders, you can be confident that there will be no harmful or questionable ingredients/ additives such as silica. What does this mean? Your body has an easier job digesting and absorbing all the good stuff, ensuring you get the most out of your supplements. Quality protein: Halal protein powders use complete protein sources, ensuring your body gets all the amino acids it needs for effective muscle repair and growth.  Ethical production: We’ve mentioned plenty of times already, but that’s just how key ethical and clean production is to making protein halal. By avoiding things such as additional additives and cross contamination, your body is fuelled with a safer and more trustworthy supplement. Supports fitness and wellness goals: Whatever your fitness goals; halal protein has you covered. From building muscle to losing weight, the absence of excess sugars or fillers ensures you are best placed to smash your targets. Common misconceptions about halal protein powders With so much noise and no real answers around halal proteins, we thought it would be helpful to list of some of the key misconceptions regarding the diet and what the actual truths are. All vegan protein powders are halal Given that so much of halal is driven by animals and their ethical treatment, you might just assume every vegan protein powder is halal because it is made of.. well, plants. The reality however is that vegan proteins aren’t necessarily halal – it all comes down to the production process. While Innermost vegan proteins are proudly halal certified, other protein powders can be produced with alcohol-based flavourings, non-halal emulsifiers, or might be processed in facilities that handle haram products – leading to cross contamination – not good! Is whey protein halal? On the other side of the spectrum, whey protein – being a byproduct of milk – is generally considered to be haram. Again, the truth is that whey protein can be halal provided that the milk is taken from cows that were treated ethically and within halal principles. Today, there are many halal-certified whey protein powders that are safe and effective for Muslim consumers. Halal certification doesn’t matter There is often an assumption made that if the ingredients look clean then the protein must be halal – regardless of certification. The truth is that what makes something halal goes beyond ingredients. Production and sourcing our also key factors that many companies do not consider. With halal certification on your favourite protein powders, you can be sure that every step—from sourcing and production to packaging and distribution—has been reviewed and approved according to strict halal standards.  Is Innermost protein powder halal? In short, yes. We at Innermost make it our mission to not only aid in muscle growth and recovery, but also to create protein supplements that are ethically sourced and rigorously tested to ensure individuals of any faith can smash their fitness goals.  Unlike competitors, our proteins are clean and built with the highest quality of ingredients and free from unnecessary additives and artificial ingredients.   We are proud to say that all our products are officially halal certified making them a suitable choice for those following the halal beliefs. This certification ensures that all ingredients and manufacturing processes meet Islamic dietary laws, with no use of haram substances such as pork derivatives or alcohol. With this in mind, why not check out our range of Innermost supplements to find out more about our halal proteins?     Read more