Food for staying well & looking good - live webchat with Linda Doeser 11 January 1-2pm

My brother and SIL have been on the Dukan diet and to be fair, they have lost a lot of weight - but I don't fancy it because a) I don't trust quack diets and b) I've read it makes you flatulent (that again!) and your breath smell and doesn't feed your brain, whatever that means.

So, my question is - what is the best way of losing weight if you don't have all those rules to follow about eating bran pancakes for breakfast and no vegetables for month and no carbohydrate ever?

Thanks - needing to lose about a stone.

I did a high protein diet in my teens; lost loads of weight, but my breath smelt [I wasn't drinking enough water] and I think I'm lucky not to have permanently damaged myself in some way. It was in the Twiggy era when everyone had to be skinny. I fear that that 'skinnyness' is huge compared to todays standards. Glad I'm not that young again.

beeble; I think we all stretch our stomachs at this time of year so they need more filling. We also, probably forget to drink water, because it doesn't seem hot [as in summery hot], but we probably ned to drink as much because of central heating etc. Thirst can make you feel hungry. Sipping water throughout the day can help. Am now going to take my own advice!

granlT I am a work in progress, as far as weight loss is concerned and I seem to have been on a diet for years, but have never lost any significant amoun of weight, so I am no expert. But having tried every fad diet going from Atkins to Cabbage soup diet, I really believe the only way is counting calories(or points as in weightWatchers), and lower fat intake, but most of all smaller portions. Will let you know if I can keep it up, will be logging in to the Monday weigh in on Gransnet which is starting up again next week.Good luck whatever you do.

My husband has emphysema and heart problems so keeping to a tasty. healthy diet is really quite difficult.
Can you suggest any recipes that are really low or no salt, low fat, and not too many calories!?
I have tried adding herbs and spices to add some flavour, but I am not keen on too much of this, so this restricts me too.

May I ask another question, please?

I am starting to believe that eating too much fatty and/or sugary foods makes me feel low, about two or three hours after eating it. It even lasts over into the next morning.

I don't think this is simply guilt about eating the wrong foods. I think it is something physiological happening. Do you think this is right? It's so hard to stay off the bad stuff, like icecream, in the evenings. Especially when it's left over from Christmas and you feel bad about throwing it all away.

I think that is to do with blood sugar (?) jingl - you get a high from the fat/sugar and then it plummets a few hours later. Have you tried the GI diet? - alas, no good looking young US servicemen feature in it, but it is to do with the Glycaemic Index and which foods keep you feeling full longer. You know how they say you always feel hungry after a Chinese meal or takeaway? Same principle I think.

I think it is to do with your ph levels jingl. Since I read about ph levels when we were discussing arthritis months ago on GN I have watched very carefully what I eat. If I eat anything acidic I immediately get heartburn then later I have pain in my hands and if I am eating too much acidic food the souls of my feet start to hurt. If I eat food that is alkaline I am fine, no arthritic pain and no heartburn.
www.balance-ph-diet.com/acidosis_symptom.html

Well, I've just downloaded a couple of GI Foods/diet books to my kindle. The two of them together only cost a fiver, so I will have read. Ta GM.

Thank you also Faye. I do get acid indigestion and take omeprazole (from the doc). So will keep an eye on that side of things.

I will go to bed and read my nice new books now.

So long as my battery's not gone flat.

I really need some help with breakfast! I don't like milk (don't mind yogurt) and am struggling to find something relatively low calorie that will keep me full til lunchtime. I know porridge is the obvious answer but I don't care for the texture (too mushy) even if it's made with water. Please help

Cani please ask about zero cal meals for one that are at the same time nutritious, filling and prepare themselves?

You can ask...

The trouble with trying to lose weight and be healthy after Christmas is that it all feels so penitential. I feel I am too old to be on a diet that gives me no pleasure. Could you possibly suggest some recipes - or point us in the direction of some - that taste delicious and that aren't the equivalent of wearing a hair shirt.

Is it true that you need to eat different foods after the menopause than before? If so, how should your diet change?

do you have any tips for losing weight when the people around you are just not interested/have a very low tolerance for cutting down? My willpower always breaks when OH or some other family member complains about a particularly low fat meal as I hate disappointing people.

I do try and do more excercise (I try, I really do!) but what sort of food should I be eating/making to give myself more energy for when I do classes or go for a long walk?

Hi Linda

I'm looking to supplement my diet with more foods containing tryptophan to improve my sleep pattern. Is it better to consume these later in the day generally, ie how quickly can they work?.

thanks!

Hi Linda,

Recently a lot more supermarkets have started stocking granola. Is this actually any healthier than cereal like porridge, muesli or is it just a food fad? Thanks!

What tips do you have to stop me snacking between meals? I'm a complete chocoholic and just can't say no...

Hiya

My friend (71) has lost her sense of smell, and I think taste. As such she's gone right off food, and only really eats chocolate (understandable)! She seems well enough (although heartburn) and is not too thin. Should I worry or are there any ways of encouraging her taste to return?