My Best Articles

Written by Catherine Saxelby on Thursday, 18 June 2009.
Tagged: balanced diet, dieting, diets, health, healthy eating, healthy lifestyle, meal planning, nutrition, weight loss, wellness

My Best Articles
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Here's a collection of my favourite articles published in magazines, newspapers and on blogsites. Oh and tv too. The most recent are at the top. I've enjoyed researching, writing and editing them all - hope you like reading them too!

Cheat Meals

I look at whether there's any science behind the popular "cheat days" or "cheat meals".

From Body 'n' Soul magazine Nov 2021

Ask the Expert

I answer a common question - how to cut down on meat intake (but not cut out entirely). I give some ideas for vegetarian options and plant-based patties.

From image Healthy Food Guide magazine Feb 2020 (530 KB)

Quinoa, Cranberry, Parsley and Cucumber Salad

I give a wonderful recipe for spring using the trendy quinoa which has largely replaced couscous. You’ll get a dose of seasonal inspiration. As well as online, this magazine is also available in hard copy at YMCA centres for members.
From image Nosh Magazine Spring 2019 (240 KB)

Eat to lower your cholesterol

 I cover the 5 best ways to eat to lower you blood cholesterol and stave off heart disease. They are switch to whole grains, eat 2 grams of plant sterols a day, say No to coconut, visit your GP for a blood test, and get more exercise. Take a look:

Sunrise Morning Show Channel 7 July 2018

Label detective: Be savvy about serving sizes

I compare serve sizes from labels. Are they a help or a hindrance? Remember the size of that portion you eat is crucial in the war against weight gain. If you think your cereal weighed 30 grams but it really weighed 50 grams, this can explain why you’re gaining weight without realising!

From Healthy Food Guide Magazine, August 2015

The Truth about Juice

I explain the often misunderstood nutritional fact that despite freshly-squeezed juice having a health halo and being marketed as natural, nutritious and fat-free,  it is a far less healthy option than a real piece of fresh fruit. 

From Nosh magazine Issue 3

Sugar vs Sugars

This article will help you to decipher the difference between sugar and sugars and make healthier choices when you go shopping.

From Nosh Magazine Issue 5 Spring 2015

That Sugar Film Review

Read my review of the much-hyped and controversial movie,  "That Sugar Film" by Damon Gameau.

From Nosh Issue 4 Winter 2015

Potassium and why you need to care about it

I cover off on this essential mineral, how it can help you to better health(think lower blood pressure and strong bones), and why you won’t now find it on food labels. Plus how to get your daily potassium easily at breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.
 From  pdf Healthy Food Guide Magazine, Nov 2015 pdf (1.28 MB)

 Buzz Foods: Are they actually good for me?

I join forces with dietitian Zoe Wilson to examine the health benefits of the latest super foods. I cover acai, chia, goji, quinoa and cacao while Zoe tackles kale and spirulina. There's also info on three bush tucker super foods too (billygoat or bush plums, lilli pilli and lemon myrtle) from Samantha Martin.
From Yours Magazine, March 2014

Ancient grains and why I love them

Here's a short one-pager I wrote for Sunday Life magazine in the Sun-Herald. It talks about the rise and rise of ancient grains and I list my six easiest ancient grains to cook and serve for your meals.
Sunday Life magazine May 2013

Canned beans - healthy and convenient

In one of my columns for New Idea magazine, I wrote about canned lentils and canned cannellini beans as top examples of processed items that CAN be nutritious and make your life easier. Someone else has done the soaking and boiling for you!
New Idea magazine June 2012

Back to top

Go vegetarian once a week

Another column for New Idea magazine, this topic helps two groups of people - parents who eat meat but have to cook for a child who's vegetarian (they can serve this yummy lentil rice salad as a side for them but a main for the vego) and newbie-vegetarians who need a bit of help coming up with balanced meals.
New Idea magazine, Oct 2011

Eat like a nutritionist

Diet experts (including Catherine) reveal what they eat on a typical day as well as their occasional indulgences, the food trends that horrify them and what they'll never eat again.
Interview by Angela Donaldson for Good Health Magazine Feb 2011

Is olive oil the best oil?

It's no secret that olive oil has won its way into our kitchens in recent times. And it's a top oil responsible for many of the health attributes of the famed Mediterranean Diet. But is it the ONLY oil to buy? And which is the best olive oil - extra virgin, pure or light?
Healthy Food Guide magazine Jan 2010

Start the day with high energy

Need energy to jump out of bed, get the kids organised, pack their lunches, put on a load of washing and head to work? Then you'll need a hard-working nutrition-packed breakfast to get you going. Catherine Saxelby outlines her morning method.
New Idea magazine March 2010

Who's winning the food fight?

A new national survey on Australian diets confirms children from poorer families tend to eat more junk food and are more likely to be overweight. It also shows nearly all children, rich or poor, fat or slim, consume more sugar and salt than they should while hardly any teenagers eat enough fresh fruit and vegetables. Catherine Saxelby investigates.
Good Living, Sydney Morning Herald 14 July 2009
Read it    Read the full unedited version of Kids' nutrition traps

Vegetables - fresh, frozen or canned?

"Fresh vegetables" used to be the motto for healthy eating. But busy lifestyles leave little time for food preparation or growing your own veggies. Unless you can fit in a daily shop, it means that you'll have to rely on frozen or canned in place of fresh - at least for some meals. Here I address the issues of how fresh is "fresh", what nutrition you lose, what's added (eg, salt), and which are the best kinds of frozen or canned to buy. 
Healthy Eating section, ahm website  June 2009  
View it on the ahm website

Goji - super food or marketing hype?

Hailed worldwide as a nutritional powerhouse, are gojis really a super food or is it just marketing overkill?
Australian Table magazine  May 2008

Portion control

Check the portion on your plate. It may be as many as 8 times the amount that represents a standard serve. Here's how to spot the portion distortion.
Australian Table magazine May 2007

The Tick gets the tick

Catherine interviews Susan Anderson, National Manager of the successful Tick Program run by the Heart Foundation, on how companies get the red tick of approval for their products. "We don't just hand over the Tick!  Food must meet our strict nutrition standards for saturated fat, salt, kilojoules, vegetables and fibre," says Susan.
Australian Table magazine March 2006

Colour my world

We can't live without colour. But the bright hues in lollies, cordial and drinks are going ‘natural' in an effort to make our food more appealing and less processed.
House & Garden magazine September 2005

Slim with soup

Filling and nourishing, soup has emerged as a fat-fighting star. It's all to do with what's called satiety and kilojoule-density.
House & Garden magazine  August 2005

The eyes have it

What's the best way to eat for eye health? If you want to fend off macula degeneration or cataracts as the years go by, here's the latest advice on spinach, carrots, omega-3s, trans fats, butter, margarine and your body weight.
House & Garden magazine  June 2005

A good serve

Groups, pyramids or plates? Food guides are designed to help you assess your overall diet and build a varied, balanced diet. But how useful are they?
Life magazine Sun-Herald and The Age  April 2005

Snacks - 12 ways to snack under 600 kilojoules

Snacking doesn't have to be fattening if you keep the portions small and mix the indulgences with the healthier options. Check out 12 snacks that won't blow out the scales.
Australian Table magazine  April 2005

Fat Files

Fats play a crucial role in health and there's many different ones. See all the different fats and how they compare for usages, saturated fat content and healthy rating.
Australian Table magazine  June 2007

Superfoods

Why do some foods stand head and shoulder above the rest? Discover why in this fascinating look at nutrient-density - how to pack the most nutrients into the fewest kilojoules.
Sun-Herald Life magazine Nov 2004
Read it

Help for overweight children

Catherine received a Highly Commended award from the Food Media Club in 2004 for this one-pager packed full of easy ideas for parents.
Super Food Ideas magazine  2003
Read it

Kitchen of Youth

Discover the top 20 super foods for holding back the clock and slowing the ageing process. Some are things you'd suspect but some will surprise you ... and find out why.
Sunday Life magazine, Sun-Herald  2006
Read it