Top Ten Christmas Healthy Eating Tips

Avoid bread and pastries at parties!!!

Putting calorie information on takeaway and fast food menus

The Government is working with fast food and restaurant chains on a voluntary scheme to put calories on menus as part of a strategy to tackle rising obesity.  The aim is to  display calorie information  in fast food outlets including burger chains, sandwich chains as well as pubs and restaurants. According to recent articles in the media McDonald’s, Pizza Hut and Subway have agreed to start from September.

I think this is excellent news as I think it will make parents, children and teenagers more aware of the number of calories in fast food and will help them to think about how to save calories and make healthier choices. It will also be useful in addressing portion sizes because it will enable people to compare things like the number of calories in a regular portion of  McDonalds french fries (289 kcals) vs a large portion (460Kcals).

I just hope that small chain or independant fast food outlets will also be encouraged to display nutritional information on their menus as some areas such as Hackney in London (where obesity rates are high) and seaside towns are dominated by independant fast food outlets.

Diet, Diabetes & Cardiovascular disease

Diabetes, Cardiovascular disease, including raised blood pressure, raised cholesterol and strokes

Our diet has a profound effect on diabetes and cardiovascular disease. At Bartholomew Clinic analysis of your dietary intake will identify areas of your diet which can be modified to help recovery and increase prevention of further physiological deterioration.

You have probably been prescribed a diet to follow such as to change the type of fat you are eating from predominantly saturated fat to monounsaturated and polyunsaturated oils and are wondering what these fats are and how you can incorporate these into your dietary regimen. At the clinic these confusions can be explained clearly to you, and together a dietary regimen can be planned to suit your requirements.

A diagnosis of diabetes in its various forms (raised blood sugar level, type 1 diabetes mellitus and type 2 diabetes mellitus) will mean that your dietary intake will play a vital role. Many sufferers of diabetes do not understand the importance of maintaining a healthy and stable blood sugar and blood-fat level. At the clinic time can be spent explaining how these systems work to cause bodily deterioration. Time can be spent to discuss how your diet can to be modified to current recommendations in a form achievable to you.

A diagnosis of raised blood pressure may be associated with you feeling fine and leaving you wondering why you should make dietary changes. Stroke is a major cause of disability in the UK, with raised blood pressure being a major contributor. It is imperative that alcohol consumption, salt and body weight be addressed – all of which can be discussed, with practical and achievable dietary aims and objectives negotiated.

Web links:

British Heart Foundation
www.bhf.org.uk

Familial Hyperlipidaemia Association
Family Heart Association
www.familyheart.org

Diabetes UK
www.diabetes.org.uk