As the summer bites, it is important to up your intake of fresh fruit and veg which will help you meet water targets
With summer in full swing and temperatures soaring, remaining sufficiently hydrated should be peoples’ top priority. “The most important thing in this weather is water,” dietician George Loucaides said, recommending people drink eight to 12 200ml glasses of water per day.
Loucaides said water was the most important thing because the body was made up of 70 per cent water. “Don’t wait until you feel thirsty to drink water. Keep a bottle with you or have a bottle with your name on it in your fridge at home so that by the end of the day you can see how much you’ve drunk.”
The dietician said you could never have too much water. “It is probably the only thing healthy people can have as much of as they want,” he said. “If you eat any kind of fruit you can also get water from there as they contain water,” he added.
This amount of fluid also takes into account tea and coffee. Despite the latter’s known diuretic effects, he said it was now acceptable to include two to three mugs of coffee into one’s daily fluid intake. “The same goes for tea, unless it’s herbal and then you can have as many as you want,” he said.
Loucaides said meals should include plenty of salads and vegetables. “In the summer salad is more refreshing than warm vegetables,” he said. For a protein-rich, low fat meal he recommended pulses.
Regarding salt (sodium chloride), it should only be used in moderation, he added. “It’s a myth that people lose salt through sweat in normal temperatures. It’s only important to use salt if you’re working out in the open, under the sun, during heat wave conditions,” he said.
For dinner Loucaides recommended more salad. “If you want something for protein you can have meat or fish,” he said. With fish the best known source of the essential fat Omega 3, Loucaides said people should try to eat it at least twice a week, but no more than four times due to the pollutants they contained such as mercury, which are then passed on to humans through consumption.
“Oily fish, such as salmon, mackerel, herring and sardines, is the best source of Omega 3. We recommend that if you have fish twice a week, that one time should be an oily fish,” he said.
Fried fish such as battered calamari was a big no-no, he said, as the batter and oil more or less cancelled out the nutritional goodness of the actual fish. Red meat and pork should also be limited to twice a week and chicken three times a week.
People should also eat at least three pieces of fruit and two portions of vegetables a day.
“In other words, they should eat more than three pieces or two portions. People sometimes hear a figure and then won’t eat more than that although they should.”
However, he said, eating 10 to 12 pieces of fruit in place of meals was not a good idea.
“As long as you’re not missing out on other important nutrients with your meals then it’s healthy. Fruits are good for us because they contain some vitamins, fibre, water and carbohydrates, but if you overdo it they will make you miss out on other nutrients because they contain no protein nor do they contain all vitamins and minerals.”
Loucaides said one way of eating more fruit and vegetables was by introducing them into meals. “For breakfast you can have cereal with milk and a piece of fruit, or toast and some fruit.”
He said the protein of the milk or yogurt, with the protein of the cereal complemented each other, and that adding a piece of fruit ensured that all the necessary vitamins and proteins were ingested with very little fat.
A midday snack could then consist of a piece of fruit or a cereal bar not coated in chocolate or sugar, he said.
Although lunch and dinner should include mostly salads, fish and pulses, he suggested that people allowed themselves two free days a week.
“On those occasions they can for example have (red) meat and a dessert, as long as they stick to the healthy options the rest of the time.”
Another point Loucaides raised was demanding healthy options at restaurants. “It is important for us to demand healthy options so that restaurants start changing what is on the menu and how they prepare the food including how much oil and salt they use,” he said.
Loucaides said people should be relaxed when they dined out and enjoy their meal.
“It’s like going on vacation when you relax and don’t take your work with you. When you go out for dinner you should switch off and enjoy yourself and the food. It is important. As long as it’s twice a week it won’t affect your weight. If you have to go out for meals every day then be careful about what you eat but choose two days in the week that are special,” he said.
The dietician said it was important to determine when those ‘special’ days were as few people had the self-discipline to swap and change their days and ended up with too many free days.
“They might give themselves a free day on Monday and then on Tuesday. Then on Wednesday they’ll have another free day with the intention of having one less free day the following week. Then on Thursday it’s something else.”
He said this was less likely to happen if someone established their free days in advance as it was easier to tow the line. “Free days don’t only have to be a meal out. Treats can also be eaten at home and include an ice cream or a piece of cake.”
Going on holiday was another matter, however. “Then you’re allowed to switch off,” he said. “Now in the summer people go on a lot of holidays and it’s okay to have more free days.”
The dietician said humans tended to swing from one extreme to another, when the key was moderation. “That’s what people find hard to do and need constant training. A dietician doesn’t give out a diet but trains you in healthy eating habits and how to solve things. When, for example, you are trying to lose weight and come across a difficult situation, such as an inability to stop eating chocolate in the afternoon, a dietician will help you try and solve it one way or another by working on different strategies,” he said.
