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

em

Yes - reasonable diet, a bit of exercise ( preferably in the sunshine) and good friends. I didn't feel that any of the points in the intro really applied to me so that's why I haven't asked a question. However my 35 year-old daughter has Rheumatoid arthritis and I feel she could be more careful with her diet, although she is an excellent cook. Any advice?
PS Who came up with the phrase 'passive decline'? That's not the same as having an 'off day' is it?

Hello em. I am sorry to hear about your daughter. Arthritis is horrid. A well balanced, varied diet is important for everyone and your daughter might find it helpful to include a serving of oily fish at least once week, preferably more often. Sometimes rheumatoid arthritis is aggravated by certain foods. It can be difficult to tell which but if she thinks this might be the case, she should consult her doctor about trying an exclusion diet. It is not wise to do exclude whole groups of food without proper medical consultation. Howeveer, some people have found that avoiding the nightshade family (potatoes, tomatoes, peppers) helps.

Mamie

I would have to say that one of the pleasures of retirement is having more time to grow our own fruit and veg, visit markets and spend even more time cooking and exploring new cuisines. In the spirit of asking a question though -

I have always lived by the maxim, "Everything in moderation and a little of what you fancy does you good." Is there any reason to change that as I get older?

Hi Mamie How right you are and what a good maxim that is. The digestive system, however, does become less efficient with age so sometimes even a little of what we fancy may not be such a good idea, but as long as you are eating a varied diet and enjoying it, then good luck to you. Bon appetit.

beeble

I don't know if it's ok for me to ask this as I am a mum and not yet a gran ...but am suffering from that hideous January need-to-lose-weight-but-permanently-ravenous thing. I'd like to drop a stone and am not interested in any of these celebrity diets etc - but how can I stop myself from being starving all the time?

Hello beeble Weight is gained slowly and insidiously and losing it also takes time. It is a big mistake to starve yourself or skip meals. Yes, the only way to lose weight is to take in fewer calories than you expend. Try using a smaller plate and eating slowly so that you are aware of the signals that your brain sends to tell you that you are full. If you are suffering from hunger pangs, you might find four small meals rather than three larger ones each day is a more helpful pattern. While it is tempting to get off to a good start with dieting, it is better to aim at a steady loss of about 2 lb per week. Good luck.

jakesgran

Should I raise the tone by moving from flatulence to fish?

Much is said about the benefits of oily fish. I like salmon, can't abide mackerel or sardines and always have a decent stock of tinned tuna. How much should I be eating, what should I be doing with it and what will it do for me?

Hi jakesgran Oily fish forms a valuable part of the diet. Omega 3 essential fatty acids have numerous beneficial effects including lowering the levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol inthe blood, alleviating inflammatory diseases, protecting the heart, reducing the risk of thrombosis and stroke to name some of them. There is some evidence that they reduce the risk or at least slow down the development of dementia. The fish oils in oily fish are distributed throughout their tissues, whereas those in white fish are concentrated in the liver. The general recommendation is to eat at least one portion of oily fish per week. Eating more is probably better but there is a bit of a worry about toxins in the flesh resulting from pollution. Mercury is a particular worry.

If you like salmon, then the other oily fish you might like would be trout, salmon trout (also called sea trout) and swordfish, as well as fresh tuna. Unfortunately, canned tuna contains virtually no omega 3 as this is lost in the canning process. This is not the case with other canned oily fish.

jeni

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

Hi Jeni What do you want to aks about them. Zero calories would not actually be a good idea, but preparing themselves would be wonderful.

pudding

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

Hello pudding A massive change in diet is not necessary. As we grow older our bodies become less efficient at absorbing and using the vitamins and minerals we need, so it is even more important that what we eat is packed with nutrients. Calcium rich foods help protect against osteoparosis so dairy, dried fruit, especially apricots and figs, sunflower seeds, canned fish with their bones e.g. sardines, oranges, watercress and broccoli. You also need vitamin D to absorb calcium, so include eggs, oily fish and butter.

WanderingRider

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

Hello WanderingRider I suggest that you invest in some really good quality chocolate with a high proportion of cocoa solids (70 per cent). This is so rich (and expensive) that you will probably eat a lot less of it. Also, try having some fruit when you might otherwise have had an unhealthy snack. The only other way is not to buy anything that constitutes an unhealthy snack and exercising considerable willpower.

CariGransnet

<<butting in>> (!)

Linda - your advice about tryptophan reminded me of something I would love to ask... I've heard that magnesium is good for helping to combat restless arms/legs...so what's the best thing to eat in order to help with this? Thank you

Hi Cari As well as fish, meat and chicken, magnesium is found in pulses, nuts, whole grain cereals, dried figs and sesame seeds. I know that a deficiency in magnesium can cause cramps and twitches, among other things, but I am not sure about restless arms and legs.

jingl

Is microwaving veg good\/ Sorry to butt in. Cari did.

Hello again jingl It does help to conserve vitamins and minerals and, for that matter, colour and texture.

JessM

mmm didn't understand that bit, or carbs "clear the pathways"... did anyone else?

Hi JessM Sorry that I did not make myself clear. If lots of amino acids are, as it were, competing to be absorbed, the tryptophan may take longer to get to the brain. However, the presence of carbohydrates speeds up the absorption of the other amino acids into the body so the tryptophan sort of fast tracks to the brain.