Here are the answers to this week's questions courtesy of certified nutritionist Natalia from OptimumNutrition4U.com Let me know your thoughts and if you have a question for her, please submit it through my Formspring. If you already asked a question this week and it wasn't answered, feel free to send it again as Natalia has to pick a few from a very big bunch and you'll get a better chance of getting yours answered if you do!
xoxo
Anna
Q. Favorite healthy snacks? A question to you and your dietician friend.
A. (Natalia) Hi there! I will probably be very predictable in my choices... I love fresh fruits, nuts and fruit & nut bars (Fruit Break is my absolute favourite). I also like to have dried fruits with my coffee. My favourites are Medjool dates (sometimes I stuff them with walnuts halves, but you can also use a little mascarpone or ricotta cheese), prunes and apricots. In autumn and winter I may also have a couple of squares of very dark (85% cocoa) chocolate with my cup of green tea.
A. (Anna) I'm not sure if you wanted me to answer this too but just in case here goes :) I love snacking on fresh fruit like Natalia. I generally eat whatever's in season but apples are a year round favourite...specifically Pink Lady apples. Yum! I also love low fat yogurt, especially strawberry and peach flavour!
Q. I am quite tubby around the stomach and really want to loose it in 6 weeks ready for back to school, how do i do it, i always get tempted so easily by choch and sweets and don't know how to stop?! Love your vids!
A. To be brutally honest with you, if you want to see a difference in 6 weeks AND you want to avoid any health problems in the future, you need to stop eating sweets. There’s no easy way to do this – you just have to remind yourself why you are doing this.
However, do not put your favourite treats in “forbidden category” because chances are, this will make you crave them even more.
Instead, try not to have sweets most of the time, but when you really want something, have it. Make sure you eat it after a meal as a dessert, never – on its own. Look in health food shops and supermarkets for sweet treats without added sugar in them. For example, fruit&nut bars (check the list of ingredients, the bars should only contain dried fruits, nuts and, sometimes, oats – nothing else), St. Dalfour fruit spread to replace your jam, dried fruits and nuts to snack on. Alternatively, you have some a little (about 10-20g) of dark chocolate.
And make sure you avoid anything that contains sugar and refined carbohydrates (white flour, white rice, semolina). These foods really upset your blood sugar balance and may cause cravings and weight gain.
Also have a look at my answers in the previous post – you may find a few useful tips for weight loss there.
Q. Natalia: I'm 20 years old and 5'10 & 76 kg :( Last year I used to be 5'9 and 67 kg,and in a year I gained all this weight. Its awful. I feel fat, and that's so annoying! I started to eat healthy a month now, but I don’t see any changes :( What should I do?
A. Hi! I am happy to hear that you are eating much better now. Sometimes it takes time for the changes to happen, so please stay positive. Remember that it took you a year to put weight on, so don’t expect your body to lose it in a few weeks. Do you do any exercise? Although healthy diet is the most important part, being active is also essential.
It is not so easy to give you a proper advice based on the information you shared. A food diary that shows what exactly you eat would be very useful here. If you do keep one, check what you’ve been eating so far. Perhaps, it’s always the same foods. If this is the case, add a few different ones, change the quantities (are you eating enough?) or remove a few possible “offenders”.
Please check Anna’s previous Q&A post where I’ve written some weight loss tips. I hope you will find them helpful.
As an alternative, you can book a nutritional consultation and get a personalised advice that will be based on your diet and health history. If you live in the UK, I will be happy to help you. Otherwise you can always find a nutritionist/nutritional therapist or dietician in your area.
Q. Hey, I started taking the birth control pill and I gained some weight in the past months...I would like to know what I can do to lose that weight again. I eat healthy do sports but nothing. :)
A. Hi there! Sometimes contraceptive pill can cause a temporarily weight gain. However, if you feel it’s getting out of control and you eat well and exercise, please see your doctor who may be able to run a few tests and advise you on an alternative pill that will be more suitable for you.
A. This sounds more like a habit rather than a craving. You can either try to change the habit – it will be difficult to begin with but your body will adjust in a few weeks. Alternatively, you can simply stick with small quantities of what you fancy. Also make sure that you eat enough – a need for something sugary may appear if your body doesn’t get enough energy and nutrients from the other foods you eat.
If your weight is in a healthy range and your diet is generally healthy (i.e. you eat well 85% of the time), then a small treat isn’t going to hurt.
Q. What should I be eating to get more tan in the summer? I like to use sun protection because I dont want to get wrinkles but I also would like to be tan!! LOL.
A. It’s great to know that you are using a sun block. If you want to protect your skin and avoid premature wrinkles, then make sure that you use a good fake tan to achieve a beautiful glow on your skin without damaging it.
As far as the nutritional support goes, there aren’t foods that would make you tan, but there are good ones that can protect your skin from within. Those are foods high in antioxidants and include all bright coloured fruits and vegetables, so make sure you eat plenty every day.
Foods containing carotenoids (which are also antioxidants) may improve your skin tone, so eat plenty of orange and yellow coloured fruits and vegetables (carrots, melon, apricots, butternut squash, sweet potatoes etc.) and green vegetables (kale, spinach, and broccoli).
Add some eggs and fish to the list, too. It is true that carrots may change the colour of your skin and give it a orange tint, but you really do have to eat a lot of carrots to achieve this. Food sources of vitamin E may also be useful here, so snack on nuts and seeds and add some avocado and olive oil to your salads.
Fruits and vegetables are also a good source of vitamin C that supports production of collagen in the skin and may prevent appearance of premature wrinkles.
And don’t forget to have some natural yoghurt, quark, cottage cheese or small quantities of other cheeses daily. They contain calcium and tyrosine that may help you tan a bit quicker.
Q. Are there any good supplements to lose weight??
A. Hello! There are certain vitamins & minerals that may aid weight loss but only as a part of a healthy diet and exercise. However, this should be discussed during a consultation with a nutritional therapist, who will look at your diet, lifestyle habits and medical history.
I would also like to mention here that you should never ever buy any weight loss supplements or pills before consulting your doctor or a nutritional therapist. I am also a firm believer that there are no magic pills or supplements. The only weight to be slim AND healthy is to follow a healthy balanced diet.
Q. I really love bread. How much is too much of it a day? Sometimes I eat it for breakfast and for lunch.
A. You can have a couple of slices of bread daily (in addition to other grains), so a slice for breakfast and a slice or two for lunch aren’t going to hurt. Just make sure you eat whole wheat or rye bread and have some proteins with it, too.
2 comments:
Dear Natalia,
I'm 20 and in high school I had an eating disorder. I got down to around 105 lbs and I'm 5'8. It didn't suit me at all and I never want to feel like that again. I managed to dig myself out of it and thought it was a thing of the past but now, because of a lot of factors I've put on a lot of weight. I struggle between wanting to lose weight and embracing my curves. But I know I have to be healthy. The thing is every time I try to start a modified diet or have to tell myself no I can feel myself slipping back into that control mindset I had in highschool and I REALLY don't want to feel like that. How can I have a normal relationship with food? And how can I diet without going overboard and unhealthy?
Thanks for posting those Q&As about nutrition. I really learned a lot and they'll definitely help me with my diet.
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