5 Things your dietitian wishes you would stop doing

The Dietitians at Nutritional Solutions are the “Ask the Expert” panel for Health24 when it comes to all things food and nutrition related. We contribute articles to the Health24 website covering a variety of relevant topics. We will be sharing some of them here on our blog but please visit www.health24.com to read more of our articles.

The article below was featured on the Health24 website on the 11 July 2016 – you can access it here. 

1. Cutting out sugar but loading up on agave nectar, organic maple syrup and honey instead

Saying you have cut out all sugar yet you are piling on the honey, organic maple syrup or agave nectar.  This is a common occurrence, you can’t be blamed considering the misinformation popping up in sugar free recipe books and on health guru’s websites. Often the solution you are provided with after you have sworn to completely eliminate all sugar from your diet is simply substituting sugar with different versions thereof! Excessive sugar intake is problematic and the World Health Organisation has recommended that sugar intake should not exceed 5% of total energy. If you want a treat keep it small but let’s clear up all the confusion regarding sugar free eating, because at the end of the day added sugar is added sugar.

2. Using chia seeds and flaxseeds as a new found omega 3 essential fatty acid superfood

Spooning chia seeds into your breakfast smoothie because it is now hailed as an omega 3 power house is a misconception that you could easily be fooled into believing.  Chia seeds for example contain mainly alpha linolenic acid (ALA) and not the key end stage active metabolites DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) that provides all the health benefits.  Only a very small percentage of ALA gets converted into DHA and EPA.  In addition, flaxseeds should be chewed or grounded, before the fats become available for the body to absorb. You are more likely to meet your omega 3 requirements by including small pieces (90g) of fatty fish three times a week or alternatively using a microalgae omega 3 supplement if you are vegetarian and need an alternative to fish sources of omega 3.

3. Late night snacking and big dinners

Eating a big dinner or snacking late at night can really set you back on achieving the drop on the scale that you were hoping for. Studies indicate that eating larger meals earlier on in the day rather than later can impact weight loss.  Eating big meals for dinner or late night snacking while watching television can potentially influence circadian rhythms or sleep cycles. Researchers found that eating larger meals earlier on in the day assisted with the synchronization of the body’s biological clock with the suprachiasmatic nucleus (which generates the brain’s sleep cycle or day night “switch”). As a result assisting to maintain an appropriate sleep cycle.

4. Over catastrophizing the little things

Setting goals that are not sustainable and realistic are one of the most common errors dietitians see clients making.  As a dietitian we want you to change your dietary habits in a way that it becomes part of a lifestyle that will ensure that you maintain the weight loss in the long term.  Aiming for an 80:20 ratio that allows you to have pleasure foods that are not necessarily the healthiest 20% of the time during social events and enjoying nutrient rich low energy dense foods 80% of the time. This works so much better to achieve sustained weight loss with improved health parameters than trying to be perfect and possibly failing.
5. Ditching entire food groups

Eliminating entire food groups has become a common practice when people are seeking quick-fix weight loss solutions. Every single nutrient has its own vital role to play in the body. It is a big concern that common sense about what is healthy and what is not seems to have vanished. There are such big drivers commercially pushing for a “magic” quick fix solution to the very complex obesity epidemic.  When eliminating an entire food group one increases the risk for nutritional deficiencies. Leaving out fat for example can have a negative impact on absorption of fat soluble vitamins. While the exclusion of high fibre grains could result in gut related health issues such as constipation and diverticular disease. The key is to stop placing emphasis on single nutrients and rather focus on the totality of the balanced nutrient composition of the diet. Make an effort to shift dietary patterns as opposed to shifting entire food groups off your plate for good.

Reference list

Garaulet, M, et al.  2013.  Timing of food intake predicts weight loss effectiveness.  International Journal of Obesity, 37 (4) 604-611.

Harris, W.S.  2014.  Achieving optimal n-3 fatty acid status: the vegetarian’s challenge.. or not.  American Society of Nutrition, 100 (supp 1) 449S-452S.

Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Interventions for the Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults.  2016. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 116 (1) 129-147.