Q & A with a Dietitian *Part 1*

Q & A with a Dietitian Part 1

As a dietitian I get asked lots of questions about food and nutrition, so I thought I'd post a selection, with my answers. The information below is general.. and what I will say is that if you want specific advice, tailored to your personal situation then you need to speak to a registered dietitian 'one on one'. You can see a freelance dietitian or ask your GP for a referral. Anyway.. here we go!

1. There is so much out there about what to watch fats vs carbs... Is really one better than the other? What are good and bad carbs?

No one food group is 'better' than another, in fact both carbs and fat are needed for a balanced diet (in addition to protein, dairy/alternatives, fruit and veg). The key is how much to eat of these foods, and the particular foods to go for. We need a certain amount of fat in the diet to function (e.g. for membrane structure) and fats supply us with the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. We should eat more of the 'good' (mono-unsaturated) fats which are found foods such as nuts, seeds and avocados which are all fantastic for skin health too!

We should try to eat less of the 'bad' (saturated) fats as these fats can increase cholesterol levels (LDL-cholesterol to be exact - which can cause blood vessels to become narrowed or blocked). Saturated fats are found in butter, full-fat dairy products, fatty meats and processed foods such as cakes, biscuits and pastries.

An avocado.. a source of good fats

Regarding carbohydrates (carbs), starchy carbs should be eating with every meal, e.g. porridge at breakfast, couscous/sweet potato in a salad at lunch and baby potatoes or basmati rice with an evening meal. Carbs are not only a good source of energy but contain fibre, calcium, iron and B vitamins.

There isn't really such a thing as 'good' and 'bad' carbs.. however you should try to eat more starchy, wholegrain carbs (as opposed to sugary or processed carbs such as sweets and biscuits) as these will help you to feel fuller for longer. These foods also tend to have a lower glycaemic index, which means that their energy is released more slowly. Examples of low GI carbs are listed below:

Bread: Multigrain, granary, rye, seeded bread, wholegrain pita bread, chapatti & oat bread

Potatoes: New potatoes in their skins, sweet potato & yam

Pasta: All pasta (cooked al dente) & noodles

Rice: Basmati rice, long grain & brown rice

Other grains: Bulgur wheat, barley, couscous & quinoa

Breakfast cereals: Porridge, muesli, most oat & bran-based cereals

Seeded Breads = Lower GI

2. Regarding milk, what is better.. does skimmed have added sweetener but is the least fat? .. what is the right thing to drink?

Lets get things straight - regular skimmed cow's milk does not have added sweetener. Some dairy-free milks, such as soya, do indeed have added sweeteners, but cow's milk doesn't. Skimmed milk is indeed the lowest in fat compared to other cow's milks and I have listed approximate percentage fat values below (in brackets is the colour of their tops in UK supermarkets). I generally recommend adults to choose either semi-skimmed, 1% or skimmed milk (because of their lower saturated fat contents) .

Skimmed milk (red top) = 0.1% fat

1% milk (orange or purple top) = 1% fat

Semi-skimmed milk (green top) = 2% fat

Whole milk (blue top) = 3.5% fat

Jersey or Guernsey milk (gold top) = 5% fat (or more)

Left to Right: Skimmed, Semi-skimmed & Whole Milk

3. What is the difference between a nutritionist and a dietitian?

"Registered Dietitians (RDs) are the only qualified health professionals that assess and treat diet and nutrition problems at an individual and wider public health level. Dietitians use the most up to date public health and scientific research on food, health and disease, which they translate into practical guidance to enable people to make appropriate lifestyle and food choices.

Dietitians are the only nutrition professionals to be statutorily regulated, and governed by an ethical code, to ensure that they always work to the highest standard. A dietitian's title is protected by law - only those registered with the statutory regulator, the Health Professions Council (HPC) can call themselves a Dietitian.

Nutritionists work in different roles including public health, health improvement, health policy, local and national government, in the private and third sectors; in education and research. Their title is not protected - anyone can call themselves a Nutritionist, however only registrants with the UK Voluntary Register of Nutritionists (UKVRN) can call themselves a ‘Registered Nutritionist’ or ‘Registered Public Health Nutritionist’."

To read more about the differences [click here].

Make sure your dietitian is registered with the HPC

4. Should you not eat after 9pm to lose weight?

Regarding getting a good nights sleep, I would recommend having your evening meal at least 2 hours before bed time.. this is just to allow your stomach to start to digest the food. Regarding weight loss, the two main principles are 1) Having 3 regular meals a day and 2) Consuming less calories than what you are burning off. If you're having regular healthy (balanced) meals and exercising then there is no harm in eating late at night.. I mean, those who live around the Mediterranean tend to eat later at night and they are one of the healthiest people on the Earth!

All that matters is having regular meals...

5. Is it better to eat low-fat foods or a smaller portions of the full fat, 'more natural' stuff?

I suppose the answer to this question depends on what food it is applied to. For example, regarding dairy products I would say choose the lower fat varieties e.g. semi-skimmed milk as this has less saturated (bad) fat than whole (more 'natural' milk). Regarding 'diet foods' however, SOME may be low in fat but higher in sugar, meaning an overall similar calorie content to their standard equivalent. My advice would be to read the label and look at the ingredients list of low-fat foods.. if sugar is the first or second ingredient then you MAY be better off choosing the 'standard' product.