By Judy Davie So you want to lose weight but still want to eat well? You haven’t got a lot of time to prepare meals from scratch and you know fast food isn’t going to help with your goal. This week we take you zig-zagging around the supermarket so you can fill your basket with […]

By Judy Davie **”How important is fibre if you don’t have any problems with regularity? And what is the difference between soluble and insoluble fibre?” — Erin** Fibre is important for many reasons, not just for keeping the body “regular”. Fibre protects the health of the intestinal tract by increasing the bulk of stools and […]

By Judy Davie **”I am 12 years old and weigh 60 kilos. My friends tell me they only weigh 50 or 55 and I often just say I weigh 55 because I’m embarrassed to say I weigh 60. I have three sisters (aged 22, 20, 18) who have told me they all weighed 60 at […]

By Judy Davie **”Is sushi good for you as an alternative fast food meal?” — Sussan** Comparing sushi with other fast food, in particular burgers, fried chicken, and even those marketed as healthy sandwich franchises, sushi rates high on the list, especially sushi made with salmon or tuna and avocado. Unlike other fast food outlets […]

By Judy Davie **”A naturopath once told me that magnesium should be my drug of choice. Is Anlene a good choice for me or would it be better to stick to real milk?” — Jacqui** This is an interesting question worth tackling in 2 parts:

By Judy Davie **”Is it okay to eat pasta if I’m trying to lose weight?” — Sally** Absolutely! The fact that pasta is a source of carbohydrate often fools people into thinking it prevents weight loss. Of course, if you eat too much of any food you’ll take in too many kilojoules, which could lead […]

By Judy Davie **”I’m always rushed in the mornings and often don’t have time for breakfast. Can you suggest a quick and healthy breakfast that I can eat on the run? I don’t have time to cook.” — Amanda** Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day and ideally we should all sit […]

By Judy Davie **”Since I started taking the pill I’ve gained quite a bit of weight. What can I do to keep it under control?” — Diana** A number of contraceptive pills do affect weight gain, either by slowing the metabolism or increasing the appetite. It’s not dissimilar to menopause where hormonal changes — through […]

By Judy Davie **”What’s the difference between an allergy and an intolerance?” — Justine** An allergy is an immune response causing a serious, sometimes fatal, reaction, usually involving inflammation and the restriction of airways. Typical food allergens include gluten, nuts, dairy and shellfish. An intolerance is when a substance may cause an adverse reaction, such […]

By Judy Davie Is your body missing out on important nutrients? There are ways to spot the warning signs. If your answers are “sometimes”, “often” or “most of the time” to the majority of questions in each section, you should consider increasing your intake of foods rich in the deficient vitamin. If you answer “most […]