FAD DIETS: IMPLICATIONS

Weight loss diets abound, all with the promise of eagerly sought results. If any formularised eating plan is to be used, those working in fat loss need to:

1. Look to scientific research for the basis of claims, and ensure the eating plan is not actually a danger to health.

2. Sort through the claims and promises for the actual strategies required.

3. Assess if it requires anything special to make it work, including pills, potions or machdnes.

4. Assess its consistency with recommended food selection guides and the use of locally available foods.

5. Assess the promised rate of weight loss.

6. Assess the energy level and macronutrient composition and compare this with national recommendations.

7. Ensure that it is nutritionally adequate in micronutrients, and not reliant on supplements.

8. Assess the cost of the plan, particularly for long-term implementation.

9. Ensure that it is sustainable, incorporating commonsense food selection and regular, appropriately chosen physical activity.

10. Refer to an appropriately qualified health professional if unsure.

11. Reject any diet promoting a specific food or drink as a fat ‘burner’.

12. Consider only those eating plans which are likely to be adhered to for extended periods without alterations to physical nutrient profiles.

13. Be aware that liquid meal replacement diets without an accompanying activity program should only ever be used for the very obese and with appropriate professional supervision.

14. Discourage dieting in favour of healthy eating plans.

15. Keep in mind that diets of less than 1200kcals per day should not be used except under strict professional supervision and only in cases of extreme and life-threatening obesity.

SOME TIPS TO PREVENT FLUID RETENTION

•     Wear elastic stockings if your legs swell.

•     Do the same in pregnancy and in both cases use every opportunity to take the weight off your feet. This greatly helps reduce the swelling.

•     Come off the Pill and use another method of contraception.

•     Prevent allergies by eliminating foods and other allergens from your diet and surroundings.

•     Take vitamin B6. This seems to affect the balance between oestrogen and sodium. Taking 200 mg a day pre-menstrually has been shown to prevent fluid retention. B6 is especially good in pregnancy. Never take more than 200 mg a day.

•     Take vitamin Ñ-it seems to enhance the action of vitamin B6. It also has a diuretic effect of its own.

•     Drink more water – additional 4-6 glasses a day on top of what you currently drink. This increases the excretion efficiency of the kidneys.

•     Take less salt. Some people are exceptionally sensitive to salt and as little as 1 g can produce swelling in them. One large pickled cucumber, for example, contains 2 g salt.

•     Eat only complex carbohydrates (as found in fruit, vegetables and whole grains)-no refined ones. Sugar is a major culprit when it comes to water retention, and we consume quantities of sugar without being aware of its presence. Look for anything with the suffix ‘ose’ on the label (fructose, lactose, dextrose, maltose etc) and avoid it.

•     Include in your diet natural diuretics, such as pineapple, cucumber, parsley, alfalfa, strawberries, apples, grapes, beetroot and chamomile tea.

•     Ensure that you eat plenty of calcium-containing foods, especially if your fluid retention is a part of your pregnancy symptoms, as there is a link between the amount of calcium in the diet and fluid retention during pregnancy.

•    Take more exercise. Any exercise that improves the tone of blood vessels will help.

•    Try to lie down flat at least once a day for twenty minutes or so, as urine production is increased in the horizontal position.