SESMA Martial Arts & Nutritionist Kerri Parker
SESMA have teamed up with nutritionist, martial artist and former Miss United Kingdom Kerri Parker for
advice and tips on eating more healthily.
There are hundreds maybe thousands of different fad diets out there and all claiming that you will lose weight in 2 weeks,
and im sure that they live up to their claims.
BUT I have found that the ones that works the best is the one that TAKES TIME and its more about changing your eating habits
and doing exercise than drinking 4 meal replacement diet shakes and only eating cabbage every day.
The advice that Kerri gives, is more on changing your eating habits, by making little changes, you will feel in control,
have more energy and stay more committed and not resort back to eating rubbish.
Don’t be influenced by super fit bodies you see on the internet & social media.
They spend hours & hours working on their bodies & figures, you need to have a balance and a life.
There is more to life than the gym, be happy with you, as you are.
The idea of this advice page, is to help you be more healthy, so that you can spend more time with your loved ones,
not more time in the gym.
Please note: that this is a general healthy eating advice, if you have any medical conditions e.g. Diabetes, High Cholesterol, please seek medical advice from your doctor or other medical professionals.
The NHS have great advice on healthy eating for those that have may need a more specific diet like Diabetes or High Cholesterol
Nutritionist, Personal Trainer, and Cancer Survivor Kerri Parker
Hello everyone, A bit about me.
I have modelled the past two decades and run my own successful modelling academy as well as working on Hollywood films doing martial arts and stunt work.
I have my 1st Dan black belt in Shotokan karate and now in training for my black belt as SESMA too.
As well as having owned my own gym and studio, an nutrition centre,
I have helped hundreds of people get healthy, lose weight, get fitter in their sports performance and so on.
Kerry Parker & Sensei Chloe
at a Karate Competition
If you haven’t got the patience to read through ALL Kerri’s advice then:
Follow Kerri’s 6 simple principles and you will get results…
- Eating fewer calories than you burn (calorie deficit to lose weight)
- Eat more vegetables and fruits because they are rich in antioxidants and
micro-nutrients (vitamins and minerals) - Eat plenty of protein for repair and maintenance of lean tissue, and to keep you feeling full (protein satisfies the appetite more than any other macronutrient)
- Eat enough healthy fats from oily fish, nuts, avocados, and olive oils (healthy fats are an essential part of a balanced diet)
- Drink plenty of water to naturally detoxify the body, keeping the brain and body hydrated so it can function properly (green and herbal teas count towards this water intake)
- Limit processed foods and artificial sweeteners and preservatives
Kerri Parker's Healthy Eating Advice
Exercise
Exercise! Get active even if it is a little walk round the block, if able to do more do bodyweight exercises to start building muscle – the more muscle you have the more calories you burn as it revs up metabolism! You will also feel healthier and look fitter and more toned. Add in a handful of sit ups and press ups per day and you will start to notice and feel a difference!
Exercises Here
Protein
Average person needs 45-55g of protein a day.
If you are looking at increasing muscle size or tone, then you need to have more protein. If you are increasing your weekly exercise, then think about increasing your protein intake too. Add protein supplements to smoothies and porridge etc.
You can buy healthy hemp protein and add to smoothies or even whey protein powders. Unflavoured powders have less processing and sugars etc.
Further reading Here
Takeaways
Takeaway’s cause visceral fat this is NOT fat that you want, McDonalds in my experience cause a lot of visceral fat this inner fat sits round your organs and is very bad for you leading to heart attacks and organ issues,.
So limit the amount you have or keep as an occasional treat.
Treats
Go easy on treats! Remember sugar is the worst enemy and leads to poor health, weight gain and inflammation leading to diseases.
Further Reading Here
Small Portions
Eat small portions and often rather than big meals, this will keep energy up, blood sugars stable, and you will be less likely to be starving and eat on the run!
Fluids
Try to drink around 1.2 to 1.5 litres a day. Water, tea & coffee and sugar – free drinks all count. Go easy on diet drinks the brain, often cannot differentiate from real sugar and sweeteners so can cause unexpected weight gain, the artificial sweeteners also lead to inflammation and disease, migraines etc
Alcohol Intake
The calorific nature of alcoholic drinks can be deceptive. A pint of beer has as many calories as a Mars bar, and a large glass of white wine same as an ice cream
Limit your alcohol to less than 14 units a week. (14units is 6 pints of average-strength beer or 10 small glasses of lower-strength wine).
Further Reading Here
80/20 rule
Balanced diet is key, do not deny yourself something as then you may break willpower and binge!
I like to live by a 80/20 rule – 80% good diet, and 20% treats as well as keeping fit and active this will see stable healthy weight and improved health as well
Chocolate
Dark chocolate has high calorie density but also has antioxidants and health benefits, grate it onto smoothie bowls and yogurt – you want at least 60-75% cocoa it can be bitter but then you enjoy it, and it is great to satisfy a sweet tooth.
Cocoa powder is rich in theobromine, which helps to reduce inflammation and can protect you from diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
Energy Snacks
Bananas are great for energy, eat one for a snack stabilise your sugar levels or before training.
Add protein smoothies in at a time in the day you need a little boost
Protein oat shakes and porridge bowls can be very healthy, nutritional and packed with energy.
Whole Grain
Wholegrain keeps blood sugar stable, prevents weight gain and is great for energy levels, it also leads to less inflammation in the body. Try swap to wholegrain where you can.
Brown bread is NOT healthier than white, choose wholegrain rice, pasta and bread.
Complex Carbs
Chose complex carbs not simple sugars i.e. cakes, sweets, soda etc
Complex carbs known as low GI carbs are things like sweet potatoe, wholegrain rice and pasta, wholegrain bread etc
Eggs
Eggs are one of the healthiest muscle building foods on the planet, you want the whole egg including the yolk although if dieting egg whites are really low calorie.
Try an omelette with egg whites and a little low fat cheese.
Starcy Carbs
Try to choose one of these healthy sources of starchy carbs:
Quinoa • Oats • Corn • Squash
• Buckwheat • Potatoes & Sweet Potatoes • Root Veg
• Beans & Legumes
They also have lots of fibre to help bodily functions and keeping the gut healthy.
Further Reading Here
Dairy
MIlk, cheese. yoghurt and fromage frais are a good sourse of protein and calcium.
Try to go for lower-fat and lower sugar products where possible like 1% milk, reduced-fat cheese or plain low fat yoghurts.
Zero fat Greek yogurt with some honey and chopped banana for a low calorie and nutrient dense small meal.
Add fruits, fresh berries and chia seeds to smoothie bowls and 0% fat Greek yogurt.
Make smoothies, bananas are great for energy, some protein powder, and berries makes a fantastic smoothie. 0% fat Greek yogurt is an excellent addition to almost any smoothie to increase the protein content and give it a creamier, milkshake-like thickness.
Further Reading Here
Red & White Meat
Meat is one of the best muscle building foods around, both red & white meat contain high levels of proteins & vitamins.
In summary, beef contains more calories and fats, while chicken meat is higher in protein.
Chose lean cuts of meat, trim excess fat off pork chops, chicken etc and grill not fry.
Try to limit your meat intake to 70grams a day and choose low fat cuts & less than 5% fat mince.
Further Reading Here
Good Fats
Chose nutrient rich foods and don’t avoid good fats you need those
Good fats include omega 3 – olive oil, oily fish, nuts, and so on, avocado is healthy fats too which can be added to salads.
Some vegetable oils are not healthy, so chose olive oil or rape seed oils instead.
You want to avoid saturated fats to not clog your arteries which could lead to coronary heart disease and being flabby not toned.
Saturated fats are the kind of fat found in butter, lard, ghee, fatty meats and cheese.
Further Reading Here
Food Labelling
Some front-of-pack nutrition labels use red, amber and green colour coding.
Colour-coded nutritional information tells you at a glance if the food has high, medium or low amounts of fat, saturated fat, sugars and salt:
- red means high
- amber means medium
- green means low
In short, the more green on the label, the healthier the choice. If you buy a food that has all or mostly green on the label, you know straight away that it’s a healthier choice.
Amber means neither high nor low, so you can eat foods with all or mostly amber on the label most of the time.
But any red on the label means the food is high in fat, saturated fat, salt or sugars, and these are the foods we should cut down on.
Try to eat these foods less often and in small amounts.
Red means high
Amber means medium
Green means low
Meal Recipes
So that you are not hunting and scrolling through the internet looking for meal recipes,
working out the nutritional value and calories, I have already done all that for you.
Below are 3 website pages that have a great selection of recipes that are nutritious, easy to make and reasonable on calories.
Breakfast Recipes
As breakfast is the most important meal of the day it’s vital that you choose foods that are filling and full of energy to boost your blood sugar levels when you wake up.
Snacks
Eat a nutritious low calorie snack that’s sweet and you’re less likely to reach for the biscuit tin. Or, if you prefer a low calorie snack that’s high in protein, choose one that’s unrefined so you’ll feel fuller for longer. Great if you need something to eat before or after a workout.
Lunch Recipes
Lunches cater to a variety of different dietary requirements including a vegetarian, dairy-free, and vegan diet.
Dinner Recipes
The best time to eat dinner if you want to lose weight is earlier rather than later in the day so opt for a 5 pm dinner instead of a 9 pm one for example.
Smoothie Recipes
Fruit smoothies are easy to make and they add so much good nutrition to your daily diet.
You can easily blend in protein powder too, which is important if you are a vegetarian.
Exercises
Each month SESMA post a monthly fitness workout that you can do at home or at work. You can also try our 5 min Home Workouts too.
Disclaimer
- SESMA Martial Arts UK LLP and its staff are not a doctors or a dieticians. The information provided is based on our personal experience, our experience as a Martial Arts Coachs and the information given to me by Nutritionist Kerri Parker and further information available on the NHS website. Any recommendations we may make about weight training, nutrition, supplements or lifestyle, or information provided to you in person or on this website should be discussed between you and your doctor because working out and dietary changes involves risks. The information you receive in our emails, programs, services and products do not take the place of professional medical advice.
- For Educational and Informational Purposes Only. While we draw on our prior professional expertise and background in many areas, you acknowledge that we are supporting you in our roles exclusively as coaches only. We provide information concerning, but not limited to, martial arts and fitness
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- Before starting any new diet and exercise program please check with your doctor and clear any exercise and/or diet changes with them before beginning. We are all NOT doctors, nutritionists or registered dietitians. We do not claim to help cure any condition or disease. We do not provide medical aid or nutrition advise for the purpose of health or disease nor do we claim to be doctors or dietitians.
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