I cannot eat clean. I just cannot. How do you suggest I increase my willpower?

You can’t change your eating habits all of a sudden. Good things take time. Set realistic goals and take it slow. Follow the 80/20 rule. 80% of your diet should consist of clean food items and 20% of it could be the foods you love to eat. Pre-plan your meals. Non-availability of healthy food leads us to making bad food choices by ordering meals and takeaways. Last but not the least BE PATIENT AND CONSISTENT!

My father is diabetic, but is fond of having rice. Since regular rice intake is not recommended for diabetics, how often can he have them in a week? Can he have daal regularly?

Diabetics can have rice daily but in moderation. Visit a registered dietitian to learn about carb counting and GI Index. Then choose the kind of rice which is low on the GI scale, like brown or white rice. Also, as pulses too have a low GI index, he can enjoy daal them daily.

I have a tendency to stress-eat a lot. What are some healthy snacks that I can munch on as opposed to having junk food?

Identify what’s stressing you out and then focus on how to manage it. Another way to avoid it is by learning to differentiate between real hunger and stress-induced hunger. Whenever you feel hungry at an odd time, drink a glass of water, wait for 20 minutes, if you still feel hungry then have a healthy snack like fruits, milk, cheese slice, yogurt, nuts etc.

Is it a good idea to have a heavy breakfast, skip lunch and have an early dinner?

Do what works best for you. In the nutrition world, there’s no one-size-fits-all. Everyone has a different lifestyle and schedule. Just make sure you’re eating nutritious and healthy food.

I want to reduce my sugar intake. Do you suggest any fruits that I should also quit?

Natural sugar found in fruits isn’t bad for you. If you want to reduce your sugar intake then avoid adding sugar in your drinks and meals. Avoid fruit juices though. Raw fruit is always a good idea rather than drinking fresh or packaged fruit juices. •