I'm a Dietitian - ask me anything

[doesthisseemright]

This one may be a bit dull but ask away.

What is the hyperthyroid down to?

(As above re weight, sadly, I often try a 2 week lower carb diet with low GI carb source reintroduction later - not that low but just enough)

Um where abouts do you offer your services and how expensive is it!?

(Oh the main reason I wish we were higher earning would be easier acceas to health care like physio and dieticians)

I think the iodine limitations, long-term, are based on limited evidence to be honest. Only to be used one or two weeks around treatment.

AdventuresRUs, yes I agree, the ideal would be lots of great, broad scope and well paid NHS jobs, with good holidays :)

I definitely haven't done this to advertise. Just to help people know more of what we do :)

I am happy to recommend someone in your area or just let you know who is around so you can check them out, if you pm where you live. Dietitians may charge from £65 to £120 for an initial hour depending on where you live etc and may often packages and/or reductions.

There is also a search here freelancedietitians.org/

My DD is 6 and tiny for her age (lower than the 0.4centile small). She does a lot of gymnastics which involves conditioning etc. She isn't a fussy eater, other than not being a bit meat fan. But any recommendations on good foods for her? She has been to a dietician when she was younger but back then she wasn't doing anywhere near the same level of fitness.

DiggingTheDino, I would go back with any weight concerns, especially with an active child.
She would need the usual healthy diet requirements of 5 a day (that's 2 fruit and lots of vegetables), dairy, wholegrain carbohydrates at each meal, healthy fats and good sources of lean protein. ( think eggs, cheese, fish, beans and pulses and chicken if not keen on meat).... (as well as fluids).
I'd make sure she is getting a good balance, having snacks in the day (healthy ones that is, with protein and carbs). If not interfering with her meals, try some energy ball snacks or milk based smoothie style drinks after exercise etc. You may want to think about just building on the quality of meals she is already eating - e.g popping seeds on things, adding avocado etc

But as mentioned, please do see if you can go back and have her growth checked as I'm not sure if they are ht or wt centiles and the patterns around growth are so important!

Thanks so much for your reply. It’s down to (lithium induced) Graves’ disease but not reversible despite stopping lithium. This is a fascinating thread!

Ah, so mainly bone health is what you need to be careful of . Take care you get enough of the essential nutrients for optimal bone health - magnesium, calcium and vitamin D. (selenium important too, not for bones )

Is that for me? I do have osteopenia (sp?) like a possible precursor to osteoporosis, not everywhere, but v lax about supplements.

Thank you for your help. The size is both height and weight but been like that since she was about 6 months old so no dramatic change. However conscious the last six months she has really upped her fitness and I was worried of weighs of supporting her with her diet so thank you! So much information out there for losing weight not so much for needing to gain it.

Yes for you whydidieatthat

Thanks 😊

Do you think food and sugar can be addictive

Do you believe someone can be addicted to cheese? How would you encourage them to cut down?

Thank you so much for your response. Unfortunately he won't eat anything wet so can't hide anything. Anything that bursts in his mouth e.g. grapes is a no. He panics when faced with new things but will eventually taste them.

Not strictly a diet related question but thought dietitians may be able to explain this. I know muscle weighs more than fat, but after reading some threads about weight, I can't work out why two women of the same height with BMI more than 4 points apart would have the same dress size. It seems a fairly big difference. Is the only explanation that they are each measuring the dress size according to different shops' standards? or are there other factors?

Hi! You mentioned about menopausal women. I’m perimenopausal and I’m really struggling to shift the weight. Is there anything I should definitely avoid? At the moment I have:

Slice seeded toast with a tablespoon of Meridian peanut butter (no palm oil no sugar) and half a banana for breakfast /brunch

Large salad with balsamic dressing (homemade) feta cheese, beetroot, handful of seeds, roasted peppers or substitute the feta for chicken or chicken with baked sweet potato, carrots and asparagus for dinner.

I may snack on an apple mid afternoon or late evening. I’ve cut out all the booze, drink pints of water and make sure there’s 16 hours between my last meal of the day til the first thing I eat in the morning.

I’ve been doing this for the past 6 weeks and have only lost 2-3 pounds, what am I doing wrong 😭

I do exercise a bit, walking swimming but definitely not as much as I should!

On food addiction, there is still a lot to be studied in this area and I think most that have been done have been on animal models. There have been some suggestions that it's a real thing but more to do with the reward/pleasure centres in the brain and with something called "sensory-specific satiety" which is the concept that explains why a first bite will taste better than the next and the next. Some people have lost touch with this or are seeking the pleasure of the first bite. Many people have lost touch with real hunger feelings and misread. So, there may be some truth in it but we are not ready to say its an actual "addiction" as such.

A few years ago, there was a study which likened chemicals in cheese to opioids but it wasn't a strong one.

To reduce cravings for something, it's a tricky one as you would have to look at your environment and triggers and if you are restricting and causing an extreme need due to that but using mindful eating practices, with very small amounts fo highly flavoured cheese could reduce intake. It would be really interesting to think about the first bite concept and measure the pleasure of each bite and see if you actually just need that one small amount to feel satisfied.

In my opinion, sugar cravings can be reduced by rebalancing the whole diet.

KittyVonCatsworth, if I have this right, you don't have lunch? Or is lunch the same as dinner?

Oh, and I should add. As a Dietitian, I also look at things like stress, sleep patterns, environment and gut health etc as these do impact on weight and well being. We are more holistic than you think.

I have ulcerative colitis. Most diet advice is around this condition is about reducing symptoms such as diarrhoea. What diet advice would you give someone with my condition to reduce inflammation? Consultants say diet doesn't matter, but I'm not convinced. Thanks.

Great thread!

Does a high sugar diet increase risk of Diabetes, even if the person is slim?

pennycarbonara, its crazy, isnt it. BMI is such a rubbish indication of size. Size differences are due to height and weight distributions (pure genetics or activity ) and dress sizes. Its all about exercise habits as well...and lean muscle as you mentioned. BMI does not measure fat.

OP if I came to you wanting to lose weight how do you manage that on an individual level when that person has to fit in around home e.g. when they eat together as a family?