A Healthier You, One Step at a Time

Category: Diets

  • Is coconut healthy? A dietitian non-bias breakdown

    https://www.theloop.ca/is-coconut-really-the-best-oil-to-cook-with

    Is coconut healthy? A dietitian non-bias breakdown: coconut
    Coconut – a non-bias report by a dietitian

    As a dietitian, most of my clients are concerned about their cholesterol and heart disease, and are advised to avoid foods high in saturated fat, as per St. Paul’s healthy heart clinic.  Coconut is very high in saturated fat albeit short chain, the literature has yet to support the benefits of coconut for heart disease. Coconut is very flavourful and can be included in your diet, this video will help guide you as to the best sources.

     

    Nishta Saxena, RD has presented a non-bias view of the merits of coconut.  Click on the link above to watch her videa on the morning show with CTV.

  • Portion size for desserts

    This Christmas, it was my sister-in-law that reminded me about portion size, particularly with desserts!  Usually we serve our trifle, this year was sugar free, in china (250ml) but she brought out the crystal and custard cups ( 125ml) and it was a perfect portion.  My brother-in-laws blood glucose was under 6mmol/l 2 hrs after!!!

    Portion size for desserts: image 1

     

  • The Potato Diet!

    The Potato Diet!

    Now we have the “potato diet”.  You too can lose 117lb in a year by eating only potatoes!  Andrew Taylor from Australia https://www.menshealth.com/weight-loss/a19536403/can-the-potato-diet-help-you-lose-weight-safely/entered the “Spud Fit Challenge” and is boasting about the virtues of the potato.  He said that you can meet most of your nutritional needs with the potato, especially if you are overweight and have some stored nutrition to The Potato Diet!: potatowaste.  He ate only potatoes, all day everyday for 1 year, with skim soymilk to mash, BBQ  and sweet chili sauce to flavour, no exercise for the first month and then 90 min/day subsequent months, supplemented with Vit B12.

    So I calculated that to encourage weight loss for myself, (-20 lb/yr) and meet most of my  nutritional needs, I could eat 3 red potatoes, 3 russet potatoes and 4 sweet potatoes per day with 2 c soymilk to mash and 4 T chili sauce, 6 T BBQ sauce which would give me about 1600kcal per day, 42 g protein, 11 g fat, 342 g carbohydrate and 35 g fibre, it would meet most of my needs except calcium – 866 mg vs 1200;  zinc 5.6 vs 8 and Vit D 5.8 vs 15 ug Vit D.  |My immune system would suffer with a daily 10 g protein deficit but altogether better than I thought,

    But I agree with Dr. Nadolsky’s (Taylor’s MD) assessment that the vegan diet is restrictive, the ketogenic very restrictive but the potato diet is one of the most restrictive diets available.  There are many other healthier ways of losing weight.

    Bring it on “Spud Fit Challenge”

    Jan

  • Can the ketogenic diet be healthy

    Can the ketogenic diet be healthy: Desiree Neilson

    Live Web Broadcast of the Dietitians of Canada Conference  in Vancouver, 2018

    Really enjoyed the  presentation on low carbohydrate diets and cardiometabolic health by Dr. Sievenpiper and ketogenic diets in dietetic practice by Desiree Neilson, R.D.,, host of Urban Vegetarian.

    Quite illuminating, it seems that the low carbohydrate diets have equal impact on weight loss  compared with low fat diets in the long term, the issue around sustainability of low carbohydrate diets remains questionable, and there is inadequate information about effect on mortality and CV events.  The research on protective effect on mortality has only shown significant differences with legumes, fruit, low glycemic foods, and increased dietary fibre, particularily soluble fibre.

    Desiree Neilson a private consultant is working with a UBC project promoting the ketogenic diet for diabetes, type 2.  Her clients  who follow the ketogenic diet, need to achieve nutritional ketosis (0.5-5 mmol/l ketones) usually with less than 50g carbohydrate per day.  It usually takes 3-4 days for the metabolism to shift, the diet is 80% fat (mostly monounsaturated and saturated fat), 15% protein and 5% carbohydrate.  Omega 6 fatty acids drive inflammation so are avoided.

    Perhaps the best way that this diet would be effective for my clients is that it  helps reduce cravings.   The diet is being promoted by  UBC Okanagan through pharmacist at Pharmasave, http://emil.ok.ubc.ca/?page_id=213

    In fact, on April 28th, I complained to our local Pharmasave because their local advertisement stated they were providing a therapeutic diet without having a registered dietitian involved in their practice..  As a registered dietitian, responsible to the provincial college of dietitians, I need to meet a code of ethics  and our diets are individualized  based on evidence based research, as yet the ketogenic diet does not have double blind, rigorous testing  and we know clients require additional sodium, magnesium, thiamine, Vit D, Vit C, calcium, selenium, fibre and folate to meet their daily requirements.

    Desiree explains that for the diet to be sustainable, clients need to be highly motivated and recommends the assistance of a registered dietitian to support clients changing back to a regular diet.

    Desiree explained how she has modified the ketogenic diet with low carbohydrate fruits- berries, vegetables, nuts, and tofu to better meet clients nutritional requirements.

    See her freebies:  https://desireerd.com/freebies/

  • Renal Diet Maze

    Renal Diet Maze: IMG 1474 e1519060432145A close friend has called on my skills to help him with navigating the maze of restrictions imposed with a renal diet. This was a sudden diagnosis and he is overwhelmed.
    First of all, it is important for us all to keep our blood pressure optimally at 130/80, new guidelines to keep our kidneys functioning well. The dietary component which will keep your kidneys healthy includes restricting your salt and keeping your body weight close to target, which may vary depending on your genetics.
    Secondly you want to stop smoking or if you are diabetic, you want to keep your blood sugars close to target.
    Thirdly if your kidneys stop functioning, you may need to restrict your protein, this preserves kidney function, so the Paleo diet may not be a good choice but a vegetarian diet may also be a difficult choice.
    When your kidneys fail, you often need to restrict you potassium- some of those loved fruits (bananas and oranges) and vegetables (tomatoes and potatoes)
    Lastly the phosphate in your diet often becomes a problem, this mineral is often found in foods that we naturally choose because they are healthier
    dairy, proteins, legumes, nuts, whole grains. There are phosphate binders that you may be prescribed.
    The diet for chronic kidney failure in fact doesn’t seem very healthy but is important for your compromised kidney and your longevity.
    This new publication has many of the details you need to learn about, including recipes with herbs and spices give more flavour to your food while restricting the salt (sodium). Its available at Gibson’s Library.
    If you need help navigating this maze and want your diet analyzed, these are services that I provide, helping you to get on the right track!

  • Are Elimination Diets useful?

    Healthy Enjoyable Meals despite food sensititivy

  • The Japanese Culture and Food may be a recipe for Longevity!

    The Japanese Culture and Food may be a recipe for Longevity!: frank mckenna 150516 1
    My dream

    Japanese culture and diet
    The is a wonderful commentary about the Japanese culture and food guide, have to admire Andy the RD!

  • Tummy patch will help with weight loss

    I did my masters research on “the effects of dietary fat level on cold exposure in rats” and learned that rats have much more brown adipose fat than humans, in fact humans have only a very small amount. It seems very improbable that research done on rats will relate to humans, and that a small patch with hormones can affect the thyrold to convert white adipose tissue to brown adipose fat seems very unlikely….we’ll see….
    http://nationalpost.com/news/world/how-a-tiny-tummy-patch-could-cut-fat-fast-and-without-exercise

  • Healthy sustainable nutrition plans!

    Tips for a healthy start to the new year

    Healthy Snack
    Thanks UBC, These are great tips for students and adults alike!
    Parents: Encourage your adult children to sign onto this site!

  • Edible garnishes

    Edible garnishes: Brussel Sprout leaf roasted
    Today I discovered a new recipe for roasting brussel sprouts! You toss a cup of brussel sprout leaves with 1 Tbsp of olive oil on a baking sheet; Bake at 400 degrees until browened, about 6 min. Let cool, then use for garnish on soups or salads, what an original way to change one of my favourite foods into a forbidden delicacy!