Nutrition Advice

How Our Diets Impact Sustainability – Insights From A Public Health Expert

by Christina
01/12/202021/11/2021

You may be wondering what your everyday diet has to do with climate change… and a few years ago I sat within that same position. Until I learnt that our aggressive production of some foods is harming the sustainability of our current environment.

Today, Farihah Choudhury, a recent postgraduate of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, shares the small things we can do to improve our impact on the environment. Farihah’s interests include food policy, systems, sustainability, food justice and culture. This amazing woman is also a Public Health Practitioner in a UK county council, leading on their Healthy Weight Strategy. I first encountered her on Twitter (@NutritionFSC) in a few AfNutr monthly chats and then while remotely volunteering with Food For All UK. I have been enjoying her Instagram posts where she shares lots of insight on sustainability, thrifting and reducing food waste for people like me who are working towards a more sustainable lifestyle.

This post is the first in many on sustainability as it relates to eating habits and food systems. Farihah is also featured on this month’s #NutriChat on sustainability and diet! (details will be on my Instagram @NourishbyCH). I’m excited to have Farihah share her expertise with us!

To find more of Farihah, you can follow her on Twitter @NutritionFSC or check out her Instagram @easypeasysustainability.

There was a time many years ago when I thought nutrition and planetary sustainability were two far removed issues, neither having a palpable impact on the other and that environmental issues were more about gas-guzzling cars and single-use straws. Slowly I started to realise that our diets, and by extension, the global food system, were one of the largest contributors to global warming and climate change, as well as habitat destruction, water scarcity and a host of other environmental issues. The sheer volume and demand for food, particularly animal products, has engendered a global appetite for supplying unsustainable amounts of food.

As many local and national authorities in the world are declaring a climate emergency, it is extremely important now more than ever as practising nutritionists, to incorporate sustainable eating into our practice. Indeed, it is possible to have both a sustainable and healthy diet – which is where nutritionists come in.

“Sustainable Healthy Diets are dietary patterns that promote all dimensions of individuals’ health and wellbeing; have low environmental pressure and impact; are accessible, affordable, safe and equitable; and are culturally acceptable”
FAO, 2019

Is Protein the super-nutrient I should be having more of?

by Christina
22/10/202010/04/2023

I know it can’t just be me that has noticed this, but many common foods and recipes have been pushing the “high-protein” agenda for some time. And why is that? Should we be concerned about not having enough protein in our diet? More importantly, what is protein and do we need to include more in our diets?

Protein is one of the three macronutrients the body needs to produce energy. Each gram of protein provides us with 4 calories of energy. I like to think of proteins as the builder macronutrient because it is one of the most important building blocks for the body. Proteins are made from hundreds of smaller molecules called amino acids, which can combine in a variety of ways to produce:

Muscles
Enzymes
Hormones
Immune cells
Skin
Hair
Nails

Should I avoid Carbs?

by Christina
14/10/202009/03/2022

I always found it confusing when people said stuff like, “oh I have to cut down on bread to lose weight”. From a scientific perspective, bread is not super-charged with anything to cause weight gain. It’s definitely not like the magic bean that Jack had. If anything, bread is one of the most affordable staple foods capable of providing energy and micronutrients that you may not otherwise be getting. So, why do people think it’s making us fat? What about other starchy foods and sweet carbs? Today, we’ll talk a bit about the role of carbohydrates in global diets and hopefully, you’ll be able to determine if it’s the cause of weight gain.

Carbohydrates are one of the macronutrient trio which supplies energy to the body. CHO, or Carbs are a diverse set of molecules which are derived from organic monomers (units) such as glucose, fructose and galactose. Plants are the most diverse sources of carbohydrates because they use carbon dioxide and water to create carbs for energy and structure. Carbohydrates can range from the simplest sweet sugars like those found in fruits, to long, branched chains which taste starchy, such as those in potatoes, ground provisions and starchy foods.

Facing the Fats: 6 Truths and 1 Myth about replacing saturated fats in the diet (Part 4)

by Christina
24/04/2020

Thank you for continuing to follow this series on fats. I hope by this point, you have a better idea of the role of fats and know the differences among saturated, unsaturated, trans fats and essential polyunsaturated fats. Now as we don’t consider just nutrients when eating food, let’s talk about some practical ways to incorporate more healthy fats into our diets. I’ve tried to put together as many useful ways as I know, but if you have your own swaps and suggestions, feel free to sound off in the comments.

1. Eating Oily Fish and & Taking Omega 3 Supplements – TRUTH

Consuming oily fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel and pilchards are a great way to incorporate more EFAs into your diet. There are UK guidelines for the consumption of oily fish along with other fish and shellfish because there is a concern about mercury poisoning. They recommend two 140g portions of fish including 1 oily fish.

Increasing the amount of salmon we consume can improve polyunsaturated fats and hence improve heart health. — Salmon fillets are great sources of PUFAs and essential fats. Source

As I am not particularly a fan of eating fish (unless I have cooked it), I aim to get my omega 3 through supplements or vegetarian sources. There is some controversy on the usefulness of fish oil supplements as compared to eating fish, but if you do consider taking them, you should consult your medical doctor for the best advice.

Pilchard is also a great source of essential fatty acids. — Cold-water fish like pilchards are also a great source of essential fatty acids. Photo by Diane Helentjaris on Unsplash

Facing the Fats: Polyunsaturated Fats and Essential fatty acids (Part 3)

by Christina
17/04/2020

So far in this series, we’ve talked about saturated, unsaturated and trans fats, now let’s deep dive into the polyunsaturated fats.

A handful of sunflower seeds can provide lots of polyunsaturated fats — A healthy handful of sunflower seeds can provide you with lots of PUFAs. Source

PUFA refers to another type of unsaturated fatty acids with multiple double bonds (polyunsaturation). The 2 main types are omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, but some omega 9 fatty acids also exist. PUFAs are named based on the position of their first double bond, but that’s a bit complex for this post.

So, let’s stick to omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, for example, gamma-linolenic acids (LA – omega 6), alpha-linolenic acid (ALA – omega 3), Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA – omega 3) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA – omega 3). These really seem like tongue-twisters to pronounce, but you don’t need to worry much about that.

Comparision of the structure of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids — Fatty acid chains with varying degrees of saturation.Pay close attention to the number of double bonds in the PUFA. Source

PUFAs have also been confirmed to have even better beneficial effects on blood cholesterol and blood lipid levels as well as heart health than MUFAs, and they have been associated with improved cardiovascular health. Especially omega 3 fatty acids which are considered essential fatty acids (EFAs) and are the building blocks of cell membranes, hormones and support inflammatory responses, as well as brain and nervous system function. The human body cannot produce ALA, EPA and DHA in sufficient quantities and so we gain them from a balanced diet.

Facing the Fats: Unsaturated Fats and trans-fats (Part 2)

by Christina
10/04/2020

To recap, triglycerides are what we typically call fats or oils which consist of 3 fatty acids fused to a glycerol backbone.

The basic structure of a dietary fat which is called a triglyceride or triacylglycerol. It is comprised of 3 fatty acid chains and one glycerol backbone. — R here represents the variable fatty acid chains. Source

Fats can come from animal or plant sources, providing and assisting with the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins such as Vitamin A, D, E and K, along with essential fatty acids (EFAs). As we stated in part 1, the structure of fat has a big role in its function and you’ve probably heard lots about unsaturated vs saturated fats, trans fats or even weird abbreviations like MUFA, PUFA, EPA and DHA. So, what are these?

What are monounsaturated fats?

If you recall, saturated fats which come from animal sources, have as many hydrogens as possible surrounding the carbon atoms and can fit closely together like strands of wool closely packed to make a solid sweater. So typically, saturated fats are solid at room temperature, while unsaturated fats have fewer hydrogen atoms bonded to the carbon chain, forming kinks in the structure and enabling these lipids to be liquid at room temperature. Many unsaturated fats are available from plant sources.

Avocados are good sources of unsaturated fatty acids, typically monounsaturated fats. — Avocados provide unsaturated fatty acids, typically monounsaturates. Source

Facing the Fats: The Basics and Saturated Fat (Part 1)

by Christina
03/04/202009/03/2022

Fats… poor demonized and misunderstood fats. Almost like the middle child of the macronutrient trio. Aside from Carbohydrates which are quite often condemned, no other nutrient is as unappreciated as fats. Hopefully, in this 4-part series, we’ll be able to unravel some of the misconceptions associated with fats and oils, and by the end be able to make more educated decisions on our fat intake.

Assorted bottles of cooking oils. — Source

Fats, also known as oils or lipids are important for supporting cell growth and maintenance, providing the body with warmth and protecting your organs. Interestingly, 1 gram of this nutrient can provide 9 kcal (calories) of energy, in comparison to Carbohydrates and Protein which provide about 4kcal per gram. Meaning that fats are “energy-dense” (you might want to remember that phrase).

When we speak about dietary fats, we are referring to a molecule consisting of a glycerol backbone and 3 fatty acid chains. These are called triglycerides by scientists and health professionals. Excess fatty acids which have not been used for energy production or other bodily functions are stored as… you guessed it, Fat in tissues around the body called adipose.

To Eat or Not to eat the Chocolate

by Christina
10/02/202008/07/2022

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching and the US$43 billion Cocoa and Chocolate industry promoting their products as gifts for your loved ones, it’s hard not to get drawn in. Let’s be honest, we’re bound to get at least one box, even if we bought it for ourselves. I’m not a huge fan of chocolate, but I do enjoy it occasionally, especially a good-quality dark chocolate bar. So, should we be wary of our chocolate cravings during Valentines?

Hand drawn cacao sticker design elementHand darwn cacao sticker design element — The origins of chocolate, the beautiful and exotic cacao pod.

Chocolate is a mixture of cocoa solids, cocoa butter fat, milk, sugar and stabilisers like lecithin which help the main ingredients to form a solid mass. As if that didn’t sound like a bit of science, the cocoa solids give the chocolate its antioxidant properties, as they contain flavanols which are psychoactive organic compounds. And so, the higher the cocoa contents, the more of these antioxidants you’ll get. Typically, dark chocolate will contain 45 – 90% cocoa solids and trace amounts of milk, while milk chocolate will have mostly milk and sugar, and between 10 – 32% cocoa solids (at least in the States).

You may see vanilla included in the ingredient list, and that tends to round out the flavor and may lead to less sugar being added too. But some manufacturers use cheaper alternatives to cocoa butter such as vegetable oils and palm oil, and other additives to stabilize the product. Now although I like my KitKats, Cadbury, Agapey and Lindt, when it comes to quality chocolate, you want to see a very minimal ingredient list. That’s the standard of chocolate, I’m talking about in this article.

What’s up with the Five-a-Day?

by Christina
29/01/202020/03/2023

What is the Five-a-day?

Five-a-day is a health promotion campaign the UK uses to encourage its population to eat adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables (F&V). In other parts of the world the recommendation may have different names like “Go for 2&5” in Australia, “Fruit and Veggies – Mix it up!” in Canada, a similarly name “5 a Day” in USA and 6 a Day in Denmark, however the premise is the same. In Barbados, our dietary guidelines suggest that we eat 2 – 3 serves of fruit and 3 – 5 servings of vegetables daily. But why is this even important?