Hi Graziele,

Thanks for your question.

First of all, to know if you need to lose weight, your Nutritionist would need to know your body weight and height, together with other conditions that may be necessary.

Eggs and sweet potatoes are healthy foods that are recommendable for a healthy diet. For weight management diets, it is very important to have fruits and veg as the stars. They need to be present basically in all the meals. They are low calories food and they also provide you with very beneficial compounds, such as minerals and vitamins.

They also will provide you with fibre, which increases your satiety and changes your gut microbiota. This will make a hormonal change in your body which will also lead your body to a better body composition.

Including in your diet good fats (avocado, extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, nuts...) will also help you to generate satiety signals in your body.

All this, together with the exercise you practice regularly, will make you lose weight. If it is not being enough until now with the exercise you are practising, you could try to increase the duration of the exercise or even going to 4-5 times a week. Your personal trainer can help you out in this matter.

Hi Graziele,

Thanks for your question. It sounds like you have made a good start by cutting out some of the foods and drinks containing simple sugars and adding some starchy slow-releasing energy foods (i.e. sweet potato) and protein-based foods (eggs) in your diet.

Each meal and snack you eat should contain a combination of healthy fats (i.e. found in oily fish, nuts, seeds, olives), lean protein (found in poultry/game/fish) or plant protein (i.e. in legumes), and slow releasing carbs (brown rice, wholegrain pasta, root veg, squashes etc.). This will help to satisfy your appetite, fuel your training and aid recovery.

Consider portion size and plate composition. Aim for half a plate of non-starchy veg such as greens, a palm-sized portion of a protein-based food and the other quarter of the plate to contain starchy food. By slightly decreasing your intake of the starchy type food this may aid weight loss. (If you lose energy when training though it means that you have decreased your carb intake too much). The correct proportions of fat, protein and carbs needs to be tailored to the individual. Daily requirements depend upon your body size, age, gender, type of training, duration etc. Seek the help of a nutritionist to help you to calculate this.

Look out for hidden calories in any processed foods. When possible cook from scratch so that you are aware of the sugar and salt content of the food.

It may be worth measuring as well as weighing yourself weekly. This will give you a better idea if your body shape and composition are changing with the diet and training. Keep an exercise log and food diary so that you can track your progress. Sometimes weight loss fluctuates so try to keep positive. Also the type of training you undertake can influence weight loss. If your training programme does not already include HITT or weight training it may be worth seeking the guidance of a personal trainer to help to incorporate these.

Hello Graziele

Thank you for your question and well done for making so many changes to your diet. It must be very frustrating not to be seeing any weight loss from the changes you have implemented.

As my colleague Tony states I think it is important that you start with a base line that not only includes your weight and height but also your body measurements. It may be that you are losing inches rather then pounds, this could especially be the case if you have just started incorporating exercise into your routine as you will be building up muscle which actually weighs more than fat. The scales may not be showing weight loss but important changes are occurring in your body and it is useful to track these.

In respect of diet it sounds like you have taken the right steps in cutting out sugars, soda and alcohol all of which contain empty calories. You do mention that your diet is very moderated, it is important to make sure that you are eating enough and a wide range of healthy foods. I would agree with Joanne in that you should aim for a plate of food half of which is filled with non starchy vegetables such as peppers, cauliflower, greens etc, a quarter of the plate should contain protein rich foods such as eggs, poultry, meats or beans with the remaining quarter containing starchy carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes, rice, pasta or oats. By eating carbohydrate rich foods alongside protein will help to slow down the release of sugar from the carbohydrates and help you to feel less hungry.

Finally don't forget the fats, our bodies require healthy fats to enable us to feel full and to fun efficiently, make sure you are having avocado, olive oil, and nuts and seeds.

Good luck!

Hi Ghada,

The reason why your son is refusing not sweet flavour could be that food like fish has a very different flavour, and that is why he refuses to eat the rest of the foods.

Fruits are so beneficial for him, so if he likes them, that is fine (include berries later in time). In the case of biscuits, if they are home-made (for example, home-made oat biscuits, low sugar) that would be also a healthy option. As you are a good cook, that shouldn't be a problem ;)

You can try to provide him with the food he likes, even sweet food. Then, decrease gradually the amount sweetness of the food until it is just slightly sweet. Then, It is more probable he will accept different flavour like fish or vegetables flavour. Anyway, you have to keep trying different food combinations and preparations, as it really depends on the case.

For breakfast, I will simply say that you don't have to limit yourself to cereals + fruit baby food. This has been a very common until nowadays. You can choose literally any healthy food he accepts. Also don't grind the food too much, as that is not good for his teeth.

Hi Ghada
Children go through different stages and although your son is refusing certain foods now keep persevering, as if we repeatedly give a child a food he or she doesn’t like, in fact around about 15 times, then eventually they will start to like it as their taste buds adjust. The key is not to give up, no matter how tempting it may be. Also, if you associate a food your son doesn’t like with something he enjoys then the chances are he will find it easier to eat it. For example, if you give your son fish before each visit to a play centre then he’ll start to associate fish with a place he enjoys and should eventually come to see fish as a positive food, as it’s the food he gets to eat before he goes off to play!

Involving your son in making the meals he eats can also be a helpful way of encouraging him to eat. Let him use all of his senses, encouraging him to taste the different ingredients, smell them and touch them, even throw the food around and have fun with it, within reason!

Certain textures can also be a problem at this age so you could try preparing the same food different ways and seeing if it makes a difference. For instance, try serving the same food when it’s mashed, blended, chopped etc., and it could be that it’s not the taste of the food he doesn’t like but how it feels in his mouth.

For healthy breakfasts, try porridge with stewed apple and cinnamon, buckwheat pancakes with berries (sweetened with a little apple juice), omelette soldiers (omelette cut into slices) or a smoothie (mix some fruit such as apple, berries and a bit of banana with some leafy green vegetables, avocado and some almond butter, so it tastes nice but he’s also getting a good range of nutrients from it).

Hi Ghada, firstly if meal times are becoming a problem try to stay calm. Toddlers often go through a developmental stage where there like to assert themselves by saying "No!" This includes refusing food. As a parent it is your responsibility to provide healthy food but it is your son's choice as to which of those healthy foods he will eat and how much.

Food quantity is a tricky one. A toddlers appetite will fluctuate from day to day. It's best not to extend meal times and try to coerce your son into eating. Praise him when he is eating rather than being upset when he isn't, to ensure that meal times are a pleasant experience.

Offer food at regular intervals with one small snack half way between meals, so that your son feels hungry before a meal. Try not to offer any extra food at other times. Limit milk and milk products to 3 times per day and offer water to drink between meals. At each meal and snack try to offer something that you know your son will eat in addition to new or less favoured foods. Praise him when he eats and don't show signs of anxiety/stress when he doesn't.

Make a list of all the foods that your son eats over a week and check that he is eating foods from all the food groups (such as: starchy foods - bread, rice etc., fruit and veg, dairy - milk, yogurt, cheese, protein - meat, fish, eggs, beans and pulses, and fats - oily fish, olive oil, and cakes/ biscuits (the latter should be kept to occasional foods).

Be a good role model yourself so that your son sees you enjoying healthy home-cooked foods. Involve him in the shopping and cooking.

Hello Paula,

You will have a healthy diet if vegetables are the base of your diet. It is also very important to include daily fruits, nuts, seeds, dairy products and whole-grains. Complete your diet including every week lean meat, eggs and legumes.

Avoid as much as possible sugary products, processed meats, ready meals and junk food.

If you don't eat fish, you will get good quality proteins from lean meat, eggs, dairy products and legumes. In this case it is especially important to eat enough nuts, which will provide you with the good fats that the fatty fish contain.

If you don't eat any seafood at all, I recommend you to use salt rich in iodine for cooking.

To replace the nutrients in your diet from fish it is possible to include other healthy foods instead. For example the protein in fish can be replaced by eating: lean meat, poultry, eggs, and legumes. Where as the 'healthy fats' can come from nuts i.e. Brazil nuts, walnuts, hazel nuts and pecans, tahini (sesame), and flaxseeds (or flaxseed oil). Other good food choices to include in your diet may include: soy based foods such as tofu and tempeh, and green leafy veg (like spinach and kale), fruit, and dairy.

Hi Paula

Eating a rainbow of vegetables every day with some low sugar fruit such as berries, kiwi and citrus, with some protein from lean meat, eggs, beans, lentils, chickpeas, nuts and seeds, and some healthy fat from avocado, olive oil, flax seed (linseed), chia seeds, walnuts and other seeds and nuts will ensure you are getting a good range of nutrients. Also try using some sea vegetables in a soup or salad or using seaweed sprinkles to season your food to ensure you are getting enough iodine. Try to eat local and seasonal food when you can and avoid processed and sugary food as much as possible so you are eating food in its most natural state and without added chemicals.

Hi Amanda,

Fat is not as bad as we have thought during the last few decades. Recently, there are many scientific studies that support including healthy fatty foods (extra virgin olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds...) as they increase satiety and they do not tend to pass to the body fat tissue. They also provide with many beneficial nutrients, such as essential fatty acids and a wide variety of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

Other foods, especially those rich in sugars (cakes, pies, sweets, sugary cereals...) are more likely to affect our health negatively.

The Paleo diet has aspects that can be healthy, i.e. whole foods in the form of fresh, organic fruit and vegetables, wild fish and grass-fed meat. This provides fibre and essential nutrients such as antioxidants, and minerals like potassium and zinc. The diet is also low in processed foods so minimises the consumption of artificial colourings, additives and flavourings that may be detrimental to health. It is a diet that minimises simple sugars and salt which may also have health benefits. However the diet restricts grains, nuts, legumes and dairy and may therefore lead to nutrient deficiency, in particular with vitamin D and calcium. It is important therefore to substitute the restricted foods with healthy alternatives. It may promote weight loss in the short term but for some people the low carbohydrate intake is difficult to sustain for the long term and may cause a drop in energy levels. To follow a paleo diet it is recommended that you seek the support of a qualified nutritionist.

Hello Adele,

Home made veggie juices are a very healthy option to consume vegetables and fruits. Therefore, they can perfectly be part of a balanced diet.

However, I consider 60 days too much time to feed yourself exclusively by them. When you make the juices, you are removing a lot of the fiber, which is so benefficial for your body. Furthermore, that could make you have quite high blood glucose levels.

This is a 100% vegetarian diet, that would not provide you with enough amount of vital nutrients such as vitamin B12 or iron (among others)

Also, your teeth may be afected as you need to bite food in order to keep them strong.

Hello Nitisha,

Low Glucose Load diets are a healthy option as that prevents you from having high blood glucose levels, which can cause diseases such as Diabetes. The main characteristic of this diets are the high content of fibre and the presence of food with low GL.

However, there are some foods with medium-high GL that you shouldn't remove completely from your diet, such as boiled carrots and potatoes or rice.

Hi Nitisha, thank you for your question. Following a low GL diet is not harmful, in fact it can be beneficial to health, providing you are still including a good range of nutrients in your diet. GL stands for Glycaemic Load and can be worked out by multiplying the Glycaemic Index (GI) by the amount of carbohydrate in a serving and then dividing by 100. So in order to understand the GL we need to understand the GI, which is a way of ranking foods based on how quickly 50g of that food is digested and absorbed in comparison to 50g of glucose. There are several factors which affect the GI, including:
a. how ripe a food is, because a ripened food has less starch and more sugar than an un-ripened food, so is more quickly absorbed.
b. cooking a food, as this can change the composition of the food and make it more easily absorbable.
High GI foods have a GI of 70 or over and include parsnips (97), white rice (87), rice cakes (87), cornflakes (80), Weetabix (74), jacket potato (85), baguette (95) and watermelon (72).
Medium GI foods have a GI of between 56 and 69, and include bananas (58), pineapple (66), beetroot (64), porridge oats (63), ice cream (62), honey (58), baked beans (56).
Low GI foods, which have a GI of 55 or less, include coconut milk (41), lentils (30), walnuts (15), hummus (6), broccoli (10) and cherries (22).
So, although watermelon has a high GI it can have a low GL because it has a small amount of carbohydrate (6g) per serving.
If we follow a low GL diet we are reducing the amount of carbohydrate in our diet and the carbohydrates we eat tend to be healthier such as wholegrains, pulses and vegetables. This can keep our blood sugar levels down and reduce our risk of insulin resistance, diabetes and other health conditions. If you would like to follow a low GL diet Nitisha then there are some good resources out there that can help you plan what to eat whilst still including everything you need to maintain good health.

Hello Jeremy,

You can find Anisakis in fish that comes from the ocean. You would not find it in river fishes. Also the ocean fishes produced by aquaculture come from waters that are 100% controlled, hence you know that the fishes haven't been in contact with marine mammals (the final host of this parasit).

If you fully cook the fish or freeze it for 48h, the bug dies, but in case of allergy, that would not solve the problem completely.

Hi Tanya,

It is in most of the cases. However, there are other reasons that can make you milk intolerant. It is the case of the cow milk proteins' intolerance. If you have this problem, yo will not feel good after drinking milk, even if it is lactose-free and therefore, you should avoid it.

Hi Tanya, thanks for your question. A dairy sensitivity could be due to lactose i.e. milk sugar or it could be due to a protein in dairy called casein or less commonly whey protein. Also, it may be that a person is only sensitive to lactose or casein in cows’ milk and not goats’ or sheep milk, as there are variants in the lactose and casein in each animal’s milk. Lactose intolerance is due to a deficiency in a digestive enzyme called lactase and can cause digestive symptoms such as bloating and diarrhoea, whereas an issue with casein or whey is due to the protein getting through the gut wall and causing an immune reaction.

Hello Gemma
Thank you for your question, many people who are gluten intolerant opt for the gluten free products that are available in most shops and supermarkets now. Unfortunalty just because something is gluten free doesn't always mean it is healthy and many of these products can contain high amounts of sugar and other simple carbohydrates, it may well be that you are suffering an energy slump after eating due to the impact of the sugar in the products. Try to look for gluten free foods that are low in sugar and have some whole grains in them as this should help. Also ensure you eat protein alongside, so a boiled egg with your gluten free toast or some chicken with oatcakes as this should help slow down the carbohydrate release. If you still feel unwell after eating gluten free foods then you may need to consider whether you are reacting to any of the other ingredients and consider whether there may be further food intolerances occurring.
Maria

Hi Gemma, thanks for your question. I’m not sure if you meant gluten free products rather than low gluten products but if you meant the latter then I would avoid gluten altogether if you have a gluten sensitivity. I’m assuming you have a sensitivity rather than an allergy or coeliac disease? If you are eating gluten free products and still feeling ill afterwards then it could be that you have a sensitivity to another ingredient in the products, as some ingredients can contain proteins which cross-react with gluten i.e. they are similar in structure so can elicit a similar reaction. Example foods include rice, quinoa and other grains and casein in milk. You could also be reacting to one or more of the additives in the gluten free product or struggling with the level of sugar, as they can often contain a lot of it to try to make the gluten free product more palatable. The best way of finding out what is causing the problem is to look at the ingredients on the packet and pick out all of the ones that may be a problem, such as those above. Then do an exclusion of all of the suspect ingredients, removing them all for 14 days and then reintroducing each ingredient three times every three days starting on day 15. For example, if you decide to exclude eggs, dairy and tapioca then exclude them all for 14 days, make a note of whether you’re feeling better during this 14 day period and then reintroduce dairy three times on day 15. Monitor your symptoms to see if you feel worse on day 15, 16 and 17 and then reintroduce eggs three times on day 18 and monitor your symptoms on day 18, 19 and 20. Do the same with tapioca, reintroducing it three times on day 21. If any of these ingredients make you feel worse when you reintroduce them then avoid eating them for at least three months and then try the reintroduction again. Finally, I would keep monitoring your symptoms and if you get any that could suggest an allergy rather than a sensitivity such as tightening of your throat, hives or any swelling of your lips, tongue or face then I recommend you seek medical help.