Published on the 16th May, 2012 by Azmina
We’ve been here before; I remember being interviewed about this by the BBC during last year’s National Obesity Forum conference. This time new research from Oxford has hit the headlines. There have been reports in the press today about how a “fat tax” applied to unhealthy foods could help combat obesity.
Oliver Mytton and colleagues at the University of Oxford examined the evidence on the health effects of food taxes. It’s suggested that a tax on unhealthy food could help improve health, but the tax would need to be fairly heavy to make a difference – up to 20%. Ideally, a move to make fruit and veg cheaper would have to accompany such tax.
Instinctively I feel opposed to this, because I believe that people should be able to make an informed choice based on clear nutrition messages. It penalises people who are not over-weight and many might suggest it undermines our intelligence. It hits poorest families the most and it still doesn’t give them the tools to learn how to eat well. And will it work? Have rising fuel prices made us fill up less at the petrol pump?
On the other hand, I’m constantly reminded that people are still confused about seemingly simple things like what counts as a portion of fruit or veg. Food labels have gone through so many improvements, yet I’m not convinced that the average person finds it easy to decipher them.
Some food manufacturers are doing a great job at trying to create tasty foods that are lower in fat, sugar, salt and so on. Yet the harsh reality is that we are getting heavier, and putting on weight particularly around your middle can have serious health consequences in terms of conditions like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
I decided to have a bit of twitter chat on the subject and here are some of the comments debated by fellow dietitians.
Published on the 25th Apr, 2012 by Azmina
Nutrition is taking centre stage; everybody seems to have an opinion on it. I believe that nutritionists and dietitians need to become more visible on social media platforms, so I decided to put my money where my mouth is and present my views to nutritionists and other healthcare professionals at a seminar in London yesterday.
Check out my slides if you’re hungry for more…
Topics I covered were:
Why should nutritionists engage with social media?
Not only is social media a great way to network, but it’s also our chance to make sure that misinformation is counteracted with sound evidence-based advice. And the icing on the cake is that you can follow popular journals, organisations and conferences so that you keep up with your continuous professional development. Ideal for all healthcare professionals wanting to keep up to date!
What might be ordinary to you is intriguing to others
What you choose for breakfast or what you cook for dinner may be simple everyday activities to a nutritionist, but to many others it’s a source of inspiring tips on how to eat better. I often tweet simple things like ‘I had peanut butter on granary toast for breakfast. Peanut butter has no #cholesterol in it!’ Simple stuff for dietitians, yet an intriguing and informative insight for the public.
The jargon
I suggest you come to grips with twitter language: hashtags and handles for starters! That way you’ll make the most of your conversations with other people and you’re more likely to show up in searches.
#RDUK – twitter forum
I am one of the moderators of #RDUK, a monthly Twitter conversation on the latest headlines, new studies or controversial topics, in collaboration with the British Dietetic Association. An easy way for nutritionists who aren’t familiar with twitter is to open a twitter account and join us for #RDUK. Preliminary figures suggest we reach excess of 40,000 followers through retweeting of #RDUK tweets.
Keep it professional
If you wouldn’t want your post displayed on a billboard outside your work don’t post it!
Published on the 13th Mar, 2012 by Azmina
So, there’s been huge media frenzy over a large Harvard study just published in the journal ‘Archives of Internal Medicine’. News reports today talk about how red meat substantially increases the risk of deaths from heart disease and cancer. Let’s look at this in context….
What did the research find?
The Science: Red meat consumption was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer mortality. Replacing red meat with other healthy protein sources was associated with a lower mortality risk. And in plain English: basically, the authors concluded that you are less likely to die from these conditions if you eat less red and processed meats.
Does this mean we should say ‘no’ to red meat?
No! It’s about putting the results of this long-term study into context. If you’re someone who frequently eats steak, pork chops, burgers and pies, it would do you good to make some changes. If you’re someone who eats lean red meat a couple of times a week, with other protein sources like fish, chicken, lentils or beans on other days, I would say you’re spot on.
Lean red meat is an important source of iron, zinc and vitamin D and has a role in a healthy, balanced diet. So you don’t need to cut it out of your diet completely.
What about hot dogs and bacon?
Processed meat can be high in harmful saturated fat, sodium, nitrites, and certain carcinogens (cancer-provoking substances) that are formed during the processing of meats. These have been linked to increased risk of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. The World Cancer Research Fund recommends we avoid processed meats.
What does this mean for you?
It’s all about balance and variety. We eat for pleasure and healthy eating is not about denying yourself your favourite foods. Enjoy lean red meat as part of a balanced, varied diet. Choose lean cuts and grill, roast without added fat, or barbeque. The amount you eat should be around the size of your palm, and serve it with lots of veg.
Choose fish, chicken, turkey, or beans and lentils as your protein source several times a week. The research showed that nuts reduce death risks for heart disease by about a fifth. Choose a handful of unsalted nuts daily – even peanut butter on your toast in the morning is a good idea (instead of the peanuts, not aswell as them!).
Getting the balance right
- Enjoy lean red meat in moderate amounts as part of a balanced and varied diet and choose fish, chicken, turkey and veggie proteins like beans, nuts, soya and lentils often. Cut down on processed meats.
- Choose whole grain carbs like oats, whole grain breads and breakfast cereals instead of low fibre types.
- Eat more beans, lentils and fish especially oily fish.
- Go low on unhealthy carbs like sugar-rich foods and drinks, pies and pastries.
- Choose unsaturated fats instead of saturated fats – e.g. choose rapeseed oil, olive oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, avocado, nuts, oily fish.
- Watch your portion size, eat consciously, have variety and enjoy every mouthful!
Science bods can read the study here.
Published on the 4th Jun, 2011 by Azmina
So, I’ve just completed working on the Real Woman’s Bikini Diet for GMTV’s Lorraine show. What fun sampling and analysing Masterchef winner Nadia Sawalha’s yummy recipes. You won’t believe you could lose weight on this mouth-watering array of tasty treats. From exciting breakfasts like No Fry Fry-Up to sumptuous suppers like Creamy Mushroom and Basil Chicken, you can be sure to find a delicious meal that won’t show up on your waistline.
I’ve taken Nadia’s recipes and checked them out for good nutrition so you don’t need to worry about getting the right balance. The diet goes live on the box on Monday 6 June but you can get a sneak preview here.
