ASK A NUTRITIONIST

I feel a lot of pressure on my eyes. Can I make some diet changes to improve my eye health?

First things first, you need to get it checked and make sure there’s no underlying condition or infection causing these symptoms. You also want to make sure you’re not spending too much time on your phone or in front of your computer screen. When that is eliminated you can focus on the nutritional part. The foods that are absolutely amazing for eye health are foods rich in vitamin C (oranges, citrus fruits, bell peppers, leafy green vegetables), nuts and seeds are rich in vitamin E and can help prevent cataracts, fatty fish rich in omega 3 fatty acids for retinal health, orange coloured fruits and vegetables (carrots, mangoes, apricots) are rich in beta carotene (form of vitamin A) and can help with night vision, lean meat and eggs are rich in zinc which helps vitamin A uptake from the liver and lentils and beans which are also high in zinc.

My appetite has gone down to one meal a day. I want to have a good relationship with food without counting calories all the time. What should I do?

You don’t have to count calories or track your intake if you feel it’s pushing you down a negative path. You can just focus on eating healthy and making good food choices without directly tracking. Try to incorporate lots of lean proteins, whole grains, healthy fats, fruits and vegetables into your daily routine. You can also seek counseling to help improve your relationship with food.

I cannot live without meetha. What are some healthy options I can try to maintain a caloric deficit?

You don’t HAVE to quit meetha. I do not believe in an all or nothing approach. You also do not have to accustom yourself into going for alternatives of something you really like. 80 per cent of your daily caloric intake should come from whole foods with high nutritional values and the rest 20 per cent can come from treats or candy. You can incorporate your favorite sweets in this 20 per cent and if its’ throwing your calories off, maybe cut the amount into half?

ACV in warm water in the morning – yes or no?

ACV has some great health benefits and can help make your immune system stronger too but I feel like the only reason people incline towards it is because of its weight loss reputation in the industry. I assure you ACV has no magical weight loss properties, however, it is a superfood when it comes to general health benefits.

Best workout to pair with a 1500 calorie diet?

An optimal workout is one that incorporates both; resistance training and cardio/HIIT. Resistance training helps you sustain muscle, prevent osteoporosis, build strength, improve posture and promote better sleep while cardio/HIIT is the best thing for your heart. 

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