Frequently asked diet questions

From cellulite to combatting sugar cravings and learning portion control, we solve your dieting dilemmas here.

Are there any foods that can help to prevent or get rid of cellulite?
Unfortunately there aren't any 'miracle' foods that will prevent or help you to get rid of cellulite? Cellulite is worsened by poor diet, a sedentary lifestyle and poor circulation so it will help to eliminate toxins by eating more healthily, starting an exercise programme and incorporating some massage into your daily routine. Eat plenty of fruit and veg to boost your intake of vitamins and minerals, as well as wholegrain foods to increase your fibre intake. Cut down on processed foods, which can be high in sugar, fat and salt. Aim to drink at least two litres of water a day, and get active! Toning exercises aimed at hips and thighs will help to define the muscle underneath the fat layer and reduce the appearance of cellulite.

I often feel bloated and uncomfortable after eating my lunch or main evening meal. What is causing this?
Bloating is usually caused by water retention. To help prevent water retention, you should try to choose a low-salt diet. Don't add salt during cooking or at the table and go for lower salt versions of foods such as breakfast cereals and tinned goods. Where possible, choose fresh foods instead of tinned or from a packet - our recipe based plans will help you avoid using tinned or processed foods. And, strange thought it sounds, you should also try to drink plenty of water - aim for at least one to two litres each day.

I suffer with constipation quite a lot and feel bloated as a result. What can I do to prevent this?
The best way to avoid constipation is to ensure you have a high intake of fibre. Fibre is found in all fruits and vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds and pulses, but not animal products, so the best diet to prevent constipation is one that contains lots of natural unrefined plant foods. Refined foods such as sugar, white breads, white rice, and manufactured cakes and biscuits, refined breakfast cereals and white pasta, contain much less fibre than their natural, unrefined counterparts. It is very important that you drink lots of water - one to two litres per day, as plenty of fluids are needed to bulk up the stools and make them easy to pass. If this condition persists, I would recommend that you consult your doctor.

After dinner in the evenings, I often get cravings for crisps or peanuts. How can I stop this?
I don't think anyone yet knows for sure why we get cravings for particular foods, but there could be several factors involved: it could be our body's way of telling us that we need a particular nutrient - like salt, if we have been exercising a lot; it can be through habit; it might be the physical experience of eating; it can be because we're surrounded by food or it could be a reaction to the 'thinner is better' pressure. It's likely to be a combination of all these things and more. There are a few things you can do when you get a craving:

*Decide if you are actually hungry and if so, eat something nutritious like a fruit or a yoghurt.

*If you're not hungry, wait 20 minutes - it's quite likely that your craving will pass.

*Have a big glass of water.

*If you must have some of the foods you're craving, have just a little bit - this should satisfy the craving.

My local health food shop sells pills that claim to speed up the metabolism. Will they help me to lose weight quickly?
I would not recommend any type of slimming pill or potion to enhance weight loss. There are drugs available that claim to increase metabolism but these drugs are mostly either ineffective or dangerous. Drugs such as caffeine will speed up the metabolism but its effect is so slight, this really won't have any effect on weight loss. Other drugs such as ephedra, ephedrine or kava kava will speed the metabolism but have been linked with a number of serious illnesses and deaths. These drugs are banned in many countries.

The only safe and effective way to increase the metabolic rate and so increase calorie burning is through exercise. Cardiovascular exercise increases the metabloic rate both during and for a time after the exercise, while weight training exercise increases muscle mass and so increases the metabolic rate on an ongoing basis.

My New Year's resolution was to eat less red meat but I'm worried that I won't get enough protein. What should I do?
Don't worry. Most people eat twice the amount of protein they need for a healthy diet! Health professionals recommend that you eat about 20-25 per cent of your calories from protein. For a person on a 1600-calorie meal plan that works out to about 80-100 grams per day.

Protein is not only found in meat, but also in poultry, fish, dairy, grains, beans and even vegetables. A four ounce piece of fish has 28 grams of protein, a cup of skimmed milk or yoghurt has eight grams, a piece of bread has three grams, a cup of cooked broccoli hs four grams. Just these few items provide you with half of your recommended amount for the entire day.

I know we're supposed to eat at least 5 portions of fruit and veg per day, but what exactly is a portion?
The Department of Health recently launched new guidelines on what exactly counts as a portion of fruit and vegetables, after a National Diet And Nutrition Survey revealed that only one in seven adults eat the recommended quantity of 'greens' on a regular basis. So an example of one portion of fruit wouldbe one medium apple, banana, orange or peach, two small madarin oranges, two plums, two kiwi fruit, a handful of raspberries or 10 grapes. A portion of veg would be half a pepper, one medium tomato, two spears of broccoli, three sticks of celery, three tablespoons of frozen mixed veg, seven cherry tomatoes or eight Brussels sprouts!

I often get sugar cravings, especially when I am pre-menstrual. How can I avoid or tackle this?
You're certainly not alone with those monthly sugar cravings, which can be very powerful, and are often more psychological than an actual physical need for the food. Here are some tips to help you deal with them.

Mind over matter - ask yourself do you really need the food you are craving or it just the feeling of comfort you are after? Is it really worth blowing your good intentions for a chocolate binge that will leave you feeling guilty for days? Probably not!

Distract yourself - go for a short power walk, do some ironing or even give yourself a facial. Anything to take your thoughts away from that sugary treat!

Eat regularly throughout the day, snacking on high fibre foods, as this will help to prevent any sugar cravings.

Have a glass of water - thirst can often be mistaken for hunger so have a drink of water first and if you still feel hungry have a small piece of the food you are craving to satisfy it.

If you really must have a sugary snack, have a small amount, for example 25 grams of dark chocolate - moderation is the key!

Are sweeteners better or worse than sugar?
In terms of weight loss, sweeteners are a better choice than sugar. There are five main artificial sweeteners that are permitted for use in the UK: aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame potassium (acesulfame K), cyclamate and sucralose. Only very small amounts are needed because they are so intensively sweet. They are virtually free of calories, do not affect blood glucose levels and do not contribute to tooth decay.

I think I have reached a weight plateau on my diet, ie my rate of weight loss has slowed down. How can I kick-start it?
It's not unusual to encounter a weight plateau after dieting for some time. Although this can be frustrating and demoralising to even the most dedicated dieter, it can be a good time to take stock and review your weight loss plan. Perhaps a few changes are necessary to help you over this minor stumbling block. Here are some tips to help you through.

Check your measurements - always have a tape measure on hand and record your measurements because inch loss is just as important as the numbers on the scales! Get physical! Vary your exercise routine or take a new route for your walk or run to make life more interesting. Add an extra 5 or 10 minutes to your workout to kick start your metabolism and boost your weight loss.

Size matters! One of the most common reasons for reaching a plateau is becoming complacent about your portions. Dust down those weighing scales and start measuring your food - it's very easy to overestimate! Variety is the spice of life! Try a new recipe or even swap your usual chicken for some salmon or tuna and vary your veg and salad. A slight change in your diet should help things along and will stop you from getting bored with the same old foods!

Stay positive! Focus on your weight loss so far - you have been successful already so there's no reason why it shouldn't continue! Make sure you drink at least 8 200ml glass of water per day.

Is a vegan diet healthy?
Vegans eat no animal foods of any kind, including meat, fish, dairy products and even honey. Nutritionally a vegan diet is quite restricted, but research has shown that only a few nutrients are likely to be deficient on a varied vegan diet. Calorie and fat intake is usually lower on a vegan diet than vegetarian and non-vegetarian diets, because the diet consists of more high-fibre, lower calorie foods like fruit and vegetables. Protein intake is about 75% of the average intake but this is still within acceptable levels.

Vegans may be at risk of deficiency from calcium, selenium, iodine, vitamin D and riboflavin so supplementation may be necessary, and vitamin B12 supplementation is recommended by the Vegan Society in the UK.

Vegan sources of all the nutrients mentioned above include fortified soya milk, white bread, baked beans, green leafy veg, nuts, pulses, tofu, seeds, seaweed, fortified breakfast cereals and fortified vegan margarines.

Is it better to eat before or after a workout?
It's never a good idea to exercise on an empty stomach. However, a heavy meal isn't a good idea before a workout either. A light snack such as a bowl of wholegrain cereal with semi-skimmed milk, a small sandwich made with wholegrain bread, or some fruit and a low-fat yoghurt will give you enough energy to help you through your workout. If you feel zapped afterwards, snack on a banana for a quick energy boost.

What are the best strategies to prevent overeating?
Portion control is one of the most important factors in losing weight successfully and preventing overeating. With excessive portions now becoming the norm, it's extremely difficult to discern what actually constitutes a normal portion of food and how much you are eating.

Weight loss depends on energy balance - the difference between calories eaten and calories used through daily activity. Understanding just how much you are actually eating is vital if you want to get a good idea of how much fat and calories you are taking in.

The following guidelines can help you estimate portion sizes. They are not intended to restrict how much you eat - you should be eating until you are satisfied - but they can be useful to someone who needs to break an overeating habit!

3oz (75g) of meat, poultry or fish is the same size as:
1) the palm of your hand
2) a deck of cards
c) a cassette tape

A medium potato is the same size as a computer mouse
1oz or 25g of cheese is the same size as a matchbook
1 medium piece of fruit is the same size as your fist
2oz or 50g of spaghetti has a diameter of ¾ of an inch
A serving of crisps is around 1oz, 25g or approximately 16 crisps (look out for 25g, as opposed to 40g, bags of crisps)
A serving of rice is half a teacup
A serving of cake is usually 1/8, 1/12 or 1/16. Check the recipe or box for the recommended portion size and stick to just the one slice
A serving of vegetables is just over 3oz at 70g
A serving of biscuits is usually 1-3 biscuits depending on the type. That could be 1 chocolate chip cookie, 2 jaffa cakes or 3 malted milks!
A teaspoon of butter or margarine is the size of the tip of your thumb.

Get more diet, health and fitness tips from our sister magazines Zest and netdoctor.co.uk

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