Nutrition Q&A

Apologies for the missing nutrition post last week, our lovely nutritionist Natalia was very busy but she's back with lots of new answers to your questions!  We <3 her for putting so much care and thought into each question and answer :)

If you want to submit a question, please leave a comment under this blog post starting with the words "Dear Natalia".  If you would like to make an appointment with her, check out her website OptimumNutrition4U.  Natalia is a certified nutritionist and I highly recommend her being a client of hers myself.  

Also, OptimumNutrition4U is now on Facebook and Twitter so don't forget to check those out!  Enjoy the Q&A and as always, let us know what you think :)

xoxo

Anna and Natalia

Im 22,from Ireland and would like to ask a question regarding the optimum nutrition4U.Im between a size8-10 but I hate my stomach..it's where any weight seems to go..any tips on what foods to avoid that have the effect of tummy weight gain? Xx

Hi! The answer would really depend on the symptoms you experience. Do you find that your gain fat around the middle or it is bloating that changes the shape of your tummy? Please let me know, so I can give you a better advice on this.

HI! :) I'm 16 and i'm thin just I'd like to tone my stomach up a bit more but I'm real busy with exams, revison, trying to juggle a social life etc so I don't have lots of spare time and I don't like the gym any tips?

Well, you can start by making sure that your diet is generally healthy – please see Anna’s first post on nutrition for more information on this.

You can also try to include some toning exercises that really don’t take much time. For example, you can do some crunches in the morning or while watching tv (use every commercial break to tone up different types of muscles, so by the time the programme is over you will complete at least 10-15 minute ab routine) or do some Pilates (you can use exercise DVDs or ask personal trainer for advice if you are completely new to this). You really don’t need much time to get good results and 10-15 minutes a day will be perfect. You can also try to use an exercise ball instead of your chair while sitting at your desk – this makes you hold your abdominal muscles and is great for toning. And of course, walking everywhere or dancing in a club with your friends is also wonderful for keeping your tummy muscles in great shape.

i have a question for Natalia. I eat very healthy, but sometimes i eat a little too much and quite often. So how long should i wait to eat next and how can i stop over eating?

Hi! I am so happy to hear that you are following a healthy diet! Well done!

It’s perfectly fine to have small regular meals or three larger meals and a couple of snacks during a day. Make sure that your meals and snacks are about 3 hours apart. To avoid overeating, make sure to avoid simple carbohydrates (white rice, white pasta, anything make with white flour or sugar) as they may cause cravings, remind yourself that you will be eating again in three hours, so you don’t need to finish everything you see here and now, chew well and don’t eat when you are stressed or busy, practice portion control (you can find more information here) and do remember to have an occasional treat from time to time – it’s perfectly normal and is a part of a balanced diet.

i want to take a healthy diet!! could u advice me on what i should eat for the 3 meals? i need your help

Hi! It’s great that you decided to make the most important step and start eating healthier. I am very pleased for you. You can find all the information you need if you check Anna’s first post on nutrition here.

Dear Natalia, I asked the vegetarian qn before. Am lacto-ovo. I realise that I eat a lot of rice. Is brown rice/bread really better for you? Does it have less cals? I am trying to eat less rice and I'm starting to lose weight! Thank you for your reply. <3

Hello again! To answer your question, brown rice contains similar amount of calories compared to the white one, however, when it comes to food and healthy diet, it’s not always about calories, but more how nutrient dense a certain food is and how it will affect your body if you eat it.

The brown rice is produced when the outer layer, the hull, is removed, so all the nutrients and fibre are still remain within the grain. The further milling and polishing is necessary to produce white rice, so it becomes a refined carbohydrate. The polishing also destroys almost 70% of the vitamins and minerals found in wholegrain (brown) rice including group B vitamins, phosphorus, iron, manganese and fibre.

White rice can affect your blood sugar balance, digestion (as it’s very low in fibre) and cause cravings and weight gain. The same rule applies to white bread vs wholegrain bread or white pasta vs wholegrain ones.

So it’s great that you decided to switch to healthier options.

Another good thing you can do now is to increase the amount of bright coloured vegetables and fruits to bulk up your meals and slowly reduce the amount of rice and other complex carbohydrate a bit more. Don’t forget to eat lentils and beans as they are wonderful sources of fibre, vitamins and amino acids.

Ensure that you eat plenty of protein in a form of eggs, natural yoghurt, quark, cottage cheese (all plain and low-fat, so you don’t over consume saturated fats), small quantities of cheese, raw nuts (for protein and essential fatty acids), organic tofu.

Add good oils to your diet to give your body a good supply of essential fatty acids. Some good ones are flaxseed, hempseed and olive oil. You can also take oils in a form of supplement. And of course, good multivitamin & mineral supplement suitable for  vegetarians would be useful.