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Got a question about your eating habits? nzgirl nutritionist Vicki has the answer for everything from the best breakfast to start the day, through to healthy dinner ideas.
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Diet Drinks I have heard so many rumours about Phenylalanine that I really want to know if this is as bad for me as people make out. I drink Coke Zero and Sprite Zero and everyone at work tells me it causes cancer and other problems and that there must be more caffeine in these drinks than the regular varieties. Is any of this true? What drinks would be the best to have besides water? I drink plenty of water and like to relax with a drink of something else when I get home from work.
Try and count up how many bottles of diet soft drink you may have had over the year, and then add together the number of years you have been drinking this, and how many years in the future you plan to be drinking these diet drinks. When you add it all up it’s a lot of chemicals going into your system over a long period of time. Although phenylalanine is permitted to be used in drinks by manufacturers, there are no studies to tell us of the long term outcomes of ingesting this chemical at these quantities over long periods of time. If you limited these drinks to once or twice a week that would be a much safer option.
With anything that you drink (or eat) plan to have something that’s going to provide lots of vitamins and minerals rather than load your liver up with unnecessary chemicals, and also deplete you of nutrients because of its caffeine content. Here are some great vitamin and mineral boosters to replace the diet drinks:
Make herbal tea the night before - place 2 or 3 teabags (eg. Healtheries Liquorice Tea, Healtheries Pomegranate Tea) in a jug with boiling water. Chill in refridgerator. Add ice cubes and your favourite fruit juice or sparkling mineral water when required
Drink pure fruit juice - apple, blackcurrant, grape, or pineapple with sparkling mineral water.
Enjoy sparkling grape or apple juice
Try sparkling mineral water with added lemon or lime slices, or mint leaves and strawberry or kiwifruit slices
Make a spirulina spritzer - V8 juice with ½ teaspoon of Healtheries Spirulina Smoothie powder and ice cubes whizzed in a blender with a little touch of Tabasco sauce.
Mix up a spirulina smoothie - ½ teaspoon of Healtheries Spirulina Smoothie Powder, plus banana, or berries, or soft kiwifruit, low fat milk, and ½ teaspoon of Manuka honey. Whizz together with ice cubes.
Getting My Body Back I've made some leaps and bounds in my life in the last six months. I have dumped a cheating boyfriend, got a new, exciting career and lost 10 kgs through exercise (mostly walking, cycling and swimming!). I have a goal to lose a further 12 kgs in the next 6 months to return to my pre-cheating-boyfriend shape. I would prefer to try to get all the vitamins etc that I need through food alone and not rely on multi-vitamins and supplements. I am very good at cooking and also enjoy it so do not eat takeaways. However, I find that I am often very tired in the afternoon (especially if I have had a particularly energetic day) but find myself restless at night and sometimes suffer bouts of insomnia. Please can you give me some advice?
You certainly have made great progress and have some great goals, exercise routines, and approaches to eating. However I would lower your sights on getting another 12 kgs off in the next 6 months. The symptoms you have at the moment are most probably due to low nutrient levels, and losing weight too quickly (yes 12 kilos in 6 months is too quick) will only make your health problems worse. Aim at this stage to keep your weight where it is or to lose it much more slowly and work on getting your energy levels and your sleep patterns back to normal. You have been through some stressful times and this has taken quite a toll on your system - you need to give your body some healing time and not push it too much.
I would suggest you get to a doctor and ask for the following blood tests: iron, ferritin (storage iron), vitamin B12, and Folate. I suspect these may be on the low side and creating your symptoms. I know you don't want to consider supplements, but for a short time to get your good sleep and energy level patterns back I would recommend Healtheries St Johns Wort tablets 1 to 2 daily, and Healtheries Spirulina Tablets - 6 per day.
Iron Sources As much as it might sound disgusting, I am curious about how good lamb's fry is. My doctor and nutritionist were both telling me I need more iron, and so I tried supplements but they were really hard on my system. I decided I should really make more effort to eat iron rich food. I am well aware of all the good sources of iron. I am willing to try lamb's fry but I’m concerned about the fat content and have heard that it is very high in some vitamin that you should not have too much of? So how does rate compared to lean meats and how often is it a good idea to have it?
The main issue on eating organ meats such as lambs fry (liver in other words) is that these organs tend to accumulate more toxins than other meats. However lamb's liver will only have low levels of toxins, if any. The vitamin of concern is A, and if you only have this meal once a week and use a non stick pan, with only a little olive oil, the fat, toxin, and vitamin A content won't be a problem.
You may also want to try liver pate, which is a quick easy and tasty way to get iron and delicious on toast and sandwiches - a great way to get iron easily and you can have it daily as the fat content is often reduced in supermarket versions. You can also make your own if you like, from duck, chicken, pork, sheep, or ox liver - recipes are easy to get on the internet.
Another alternative to meaty sources of iron is molasses. You can take Healtheries Blackstrap Molasses directly off the spoon or add to hot fruit juice, cereals, or porridge. It is a well known old fashioned way to get iron into your daily diet. I find it yummy.
Body Building I have been seriously weight training/ body building for the last few years. My periods stopped over two years ago. I do, of course, realise this is due to my low body fat (usually around 12%), which I maintain with a strict diet and constant, intense exercise. I am obsessed and struggle with the thought of eating normally or not exercising every day. Am I doing myself harm or permanent damage? I do not intend to start a family for a number of years, I am currently 27 so have plenty of time yet, but I know I have an issue. I weigh around 57 kg and am 166cms. I would really appreciate your advice.
It all depends on what your goals are, and I presume you have some goals. If you have no goals and you are weight training and exercising excessively for no particular event, then you may have to look at the reasons you have become so obsessed with this program. Often undereating and overexercising have nothing to do with body shape and everything to do with low self esteem. Paying attention to good nutrition should bring your periods back, but as they are non existent at this stage it sounds very much like your nutrition program is not keeping up with your exercise program.
You need to seek the services of a Registered Dietitian to balance your diet correctly and help you to get your periods back. Periods disappear when nutrient levels are low. If and when your goals change to wanting a family, then you will have to change your approach to food and exercise. Unfortunately, by continuing along the current pathway you may find conception more difficult as time goes by. There is a concern that long term amenorrhoea (no periods) may lead into early menopause.
If you think that you have an unhealthy relationship to food and exercise I would encourage you to see a Registered Psychotherapist for regular counselling. A visit to your GP for blood tests - iron and hormonal levels would be definitely recommended also. Don’t delay on these suggestions. If having children is something you plan on in the future, then you need to get your health sorted now.
Exercise and Eating Habits If I have been eating reasonably badly and not exercising at all, can I lose weight by starting to exercise but not altering my eating habits? I joined the gym a few weeks ago and have been for 1 hour a day 5 days a week every week since the day I joined - it's been easy to integrate that into my day - and exercise alone has got to be better than nothing right? I am absolutely hopeless at dieting of any kind though, so if I just continue with the gym, and don't change my eating habits, how much weight could I expect to lose over say a year? I am currently 105kg and 1.68cm tall. I have 2 young children and was fit and healthy looking at 65 - 70kg before I had them.
On your first question - exercise is definitely better than nothing. As to your second question - how much weight would you lose - the answer is: very hard to tell, it depends on what and how you are eating. I also suggest you don't go on a diet - but do try these easy non dieting tips which really help to lose weight without trying:
Start looking at the quality of the food you are eating - this can definitely make a difference even if you don't worry about the quantity of food you are eating. Have pure fruit juice instead of Diet Coke; a healthy home cooked meal of meat and three veg instead of takeaways, wholegrain bread instead of white, brown rice instead of white, nut seed and dried fruit mix instead of muesli bars and biscuits, etc. By increasing the quality of the food you eat, i.e. having lots of food that is high in vitamins and minerals, your metabolic rate will go up and weight will go down without trying.
The second most important and helpful factor is to have as big a breakfast as you can every morning. This means a big bowl of muesli or porridge with lots of fruit and yoghurt, plus plenty of wholegrain toast with peanut butter, liver pate, hummus, egg, tuna, or cottage cheese. When you have a large breakfast your blood glucose levels become well balanced and snacking becomes a thing of the past. Breakfast must be by 9am though.
Finally, avoid tea, coffee, cola, and Milo. These drinks all contain caffeine which upsets the blood sugar level balance and contributes to low nutrient levels and low energy. Substitute with pure fruit juices, water, herbal or fruit teas, spirulina drinks, or fruit smoothies.
Healthy Snacks I am a busy mother of two who works full time. I know about making balanced meals and how important a good breakfast is but I am lacking in ideas for nutritious snacks for myself and the kids when we are on the run or just get home and need something small to see us through until dinner. I am sick of grabbing muesli bars all the time as a lot of them are so processed and the cost does add up but they are so quick and easy. Do you have any other quick, easy and nutritious suggestions?
Raw nuts, seeds and dried fruit mix is the best way to go for nutritious alternatives to muesli bars. Make your own mix from the bulk bins at the supermarket.
Fruit - lots of it. Have a big fruit bowl on the bench in the kitchen and eat plenty. If you cut fruit into small bite size portions and place it on a plate then it is usually consumed very quickly by hungry children. Include a yoghurt dip to make it more attractive.
Healtheries Seeds and Grains Rice Wafers with hummus spreads, peanut butter, liver pate, cottage cheese, or tinned tuna.
Flavoured yoghurt with tinned fruit (in juice), throw both into a bowl and top with nuts and seeds.
Popcorn, minus the salt and butter though.
Always Tired I am always tired from the moment I wake up until I'm asleep again. I exercise regularly and take a multi supplement; my diet isn't bad but could be improved. Do you have any diet suggestions that might wake me up or help me sleep better at night? I suggest a visit to the doctor to get a check up and some blood tests. I suggest the following: Thyroid Function, Full Blood Count, Iron, Ferritin, B12, and Folate levels checked. A visit to a Dietitian would be helpful also. There could be a range of reasons for these problems but you do say your diet could be improved - you may know yourself where the improvements could be made, so start making them now. I suggest the following: Stop all tea, coffee, cola, and Milo drinks as these deplete nutrients and create sleep problems.
Avoid sugar and salt containing snack foods as these also create low energy levels. Increase protein - have a large helping of cottage cheese, yoghurt, eggs, fish or seafood, chicken or meat three times a day at mealtimes. Avoid all white flour, white bread, white rice, and white pasta. Use wholegrain bread, brown rice, wholemeal pasta. Have a large breakfast - although it may seem difficult at first - it can make a large difference to daily energy levels and poor sleep patterns as it seems to balance blood sugar levels.
Chocoholic Help me I’m a chocoholic! I eat really well most of the time, I have oats and fruit and yoghurt for breakfast, usually tuna and salad on a piece of rice bread for lunch, and the whole meat and three veg for dinner BUT I always have to have chocolate and I can’t go a day without buying a chocolate bar or at least having a couple of spoonfuls of Milo as my fix! It’s really getting me down because I can’t break the habit and it feels like a real addiction, it’s costing me money, not helping the waistline or the skin - and all these things go through my head as I’m biting into my deliciously rich caramel chocolate bar but I just can’t stop!! It's really affecting my confidence that I can’t control something as simple as chocolate!
Try these simple strategies:
Start taking Healtheries Spirulina Tablets - two per meal, or a spirulina drink. Spirulina helps to balance blood sugar levels and wards off cravings
Have a large teaspoon of Healtheries Blackstrap Molasses daily. Molasses is high in iron and other minerals, often a chocolate craving may be an indicator of low mineral levels
Keep dried dates or prunes on hand to nibble on as you please. Dates and prunes seem to be quite 'more-ish' in their own right, so make a much more healthy binge food than chocolate.
Finally try and avoid keeping chocolate at home. If you only allow yourself to buy a small quantity when you go out, this can help to cut down the intake.
Weight Loss I'm trying to lose weight, so I'm eating a healthy balanced diet and exercising a lot. I walk everywhere, on top of going to the gym three times a week. The problem is - my weight doesn’t seem to be dropping, even though I've been at it for a few weeks now! Could there be another reason why I'm not losing weight? Do you have any suggestions of what might help?
How are you measuring your weight loss? If you are jumping on the scales, then I am not surprised you are not noticing a weight loss. Ordinary scales do not tell you if your fat levels are decreasing and your muscle levels increasing and in your case because of your good exercise program, this is precisely what will be occurring. Muscle weighs more than fat. Your best method of discovering if all your hard work is paying off is to take your waist measurement weekly - same time, same day and see what changes are occurring here. You will need to be patient, but even noticing if the waist band on a favourite skirt or trousers is looser is your best guideline.
Check your energy levels - if you feel they are low then your nutrient intake may not be supporting your exercise program and you will also put on weight. It may be time to get your diet checked by a Dietitian. If you are on any medications - oral contraceptive, asthma inhalers, and antidepressants - will all affect your ability to lose weight. You may want to see your doctor and arrange some changes to these.
Losing Weight After a Caesarean I have recently had a baby and he is just under 3 months old. I had to have a caesarean and I was told I would be back to normal by 6 weeks, but I am still not fully recovered. I was hoping to get rid of the extra few kilos I still have, but didn't want to go on an extreme diet or anything. I have been walking a lot but this hasn't seemed to help, I was just hoping you could give me some ideas without hurting myself. And some nice, healthy, yummy snacks as well.
Keep walking every day for up to an hour, if you are breastfeeding this will help as well. If you are asking about snacks it sounds as if you may not be having a very balanced diet. I would suggest seeing a Dietitian to check that you are getting all the right nutrition you need while breastfeeding. If your daily food intake is unbalanced then you will struggle to lose weight. Make sure you are having wholegrain cereals and bread, brown rice, plenty of fruit and vegetables, and protein three times daily. You may benefit from taking the following supplements to help you recover: Healtheries Ester C, Healtheries Womens Multi Capsules, Healtheries Vitamin E.
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for everything from the best breakfast to start the day, through to healthy dinner ideas.
Try and count up how many bottles of diet soft drink you may have had over the year, and then add together the number of years you have been drinking this, and how many years in the future you plan to be drinking these diet drinks. When you add it all up it’s a lot of chemicals going into your system over a long period of time. Although phenylalanine is permitted to be used in drinks by manufacturers, there are no studies to tell us of the long term outcomes of ingesting this chemical at these quantities over long periods of time. If you limited these drinks to once or twice a week that would be a much safer option. 
You certainly have made great progress and have some great goals, exercise routines, and approaches to eating. However I would lower your sights on getting another 12 kgs off in the next 6 months. The symptoms you have at the moment are most probably due to low nutrient levels, and losing weight too quickly (yes 12 kilos in 6 months is too quick) will only make your health problems worse. Aim at this stage to keep your weight where it is or to lose it much more slowly and work on getting your energy levels and your sleep patterns back to normal. You have been through some stressful times and this has taken quite a toll on your system - you need to give your body some healing time 
You may also want to try liver pate, which is a quick easy and tasty way to get iron and delicious on toast and sandwiches - a great way to get iron easily and you can have it daily as the fat content is often reduced in supermarket versions. You can also make your own if you like, from duck, chicken, pork, sheep, or ox liver - recipes are easy to get on the internet.
It all depends on what your goals are, and I presume you have some goals. If you have no goals and you are weight training and exercising excessively for no particular event, then you may have to look at the reasons you have become so obsessed with this program. Often undereating and overexercising have nothing to do with body shape and everything to do with low self esteem. Paying attention to good nutrition should bring your periods back, but as they are non existent at this stage it sounds very much like your nutrition program is not keeping up with your exercise program. 
Start looking at the quality of the food you are eating - this can definitely make a difference even if you don't worry about the quantity of food you are eating. Have pure fruit juice instead of Diet Coke; a healthy home cooked meal of meat and three veg instead of takeaways, wholegrain bread instead of white, brown rice instead of white, nut seed and dried fruit mix instead of muesli bars and biscuits, etc. By increasing the quality of the food you eat, i.e. having lots of food that is high in vitamins and minerals, your metabolic rate will go up and weight will go down without trying. 
Raw nuts, seeds and dried fruit mix is the best way to go for nutritious alternatives to muesli bars. Make your own mix from the bulk bins at the supermarket.
Start taking Healtheries Spirulina Tablets - two per meal, or a spirulina drink. Spirulina helps to balance blood sugar levels and wards off cravings
How are you measuring your weight loss? If you are jumping on the scales, then I am not surprised you are not noticing a weight loss. Ordinary scales do not tell you if your fat levels are decreasing and your muscle levels increasing and in your case because of your good exercise program, this is precisely what will be occurring. Muscle weighs more than fat. Your best method of discovering if all your hard work is paying off is to take your waist measurement weekly - same time, same day and see what changes are occurring here. You will need to be patient, but even noticing if the waist band on a favourite skirt or trousers is looser is your best guideline.