Comments for Tabitha Hume | Clinical Dietician http://www.tabithahume.com Clinical Dietician | Author | Media Consultant | Motivational Speaker Tue, 16 Nov 2010 07:46:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Comment on Flaxseed vs Omega 3 to 6 by Tabitha Hume http://www.tabithahume.com/2010/flaxseed-vs-omega-3-to-6#comment-4 Tabitha Hume Tue, 16 Nov 2010 07:46:00 +0000 http://www.tabithahume.com/2010/flaxseed-vs-omega-3-to-6#comment-4 The problem is understanding the nitty gritty. You see, Flaxseed oil contains the precursors to the actual ‘active’ oils that do the job (these are called EPA, DHA and LA). So, when you take the Flaxseed oil, it goes into the body, and has to be broken down by a little enzyme and as such, activated to become these 3 ‘active’ fatty acids that can actually do the job. This little enzyme is called delta-6-desaturase and has been shown to decrease its activity in people with: stress, inactivity, a diet high in high GI carbs, a diet high in fats, smokers, people who drink alcohol regularly and who are inflammatory (any form of arthritis/allergies/cardiovascular disorders). You’ll notice that this list pretty much refers to most adults these days! So, Flaxseed will be activated by this little desaturase chappie only by babies, very relaxed cats or people who live in the outer Hebrides singing to their goats and baking bread all day. The rest of us need pre-activated omegas, which can conveniently be found in salmon oil and evening primrose oil. The problem is understanding the nitty gritty. You see, Flaxseed oil contains the precursors to the actual ‘active’ oils that do the job (these are called EPA, DHA and LA).

So, when you take the Flaxseed oil, it goes into the body, and has to be broken down by a little enzyme and as such, activated to become these 3 ‘active’ fatty acids that can actually do the job. This little enzyme is called delta-6-desaturase and has been shown to decrease its activity in people with: stress, inactivity, a diet high in high GI carbs, a diet high in fats, smokers, people who drink alcohol regularly and who are inflammatory (any form of arthritis/allergies/cardiovascular disorders). You’ll notice that this list pretty much refers to most adults these days! So, Flaxseed will be activated by this little desaturase chappie only by babies, very relaxed cats or people who live in the outer Hebrides singing to their goats and baking bread all day. The rest of us need pre-activated omegas, which can conveniently be found in salmon oil and evening primrose oil.

]]> Comment on Is this a dangerous diet ? by Tabitha Hume http://www.tabithahume.com/2010/is-this-a-dangerous-diet#comment-3 Tabitha Hume Tue, 16 Nov 2010 07:41:00 +0000 http://www.tabithahume.com/2010/is-this-a-dangerous-diet#comment-3 In an overall sense, you are absolutely right. Completely cutting out all fats is dangerous because then we consume no ‘Essential fatty acids”. These are otherwise known as omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. Now, you will notice that one of the biggest messages in my books are that you unequivocally MUST take a daily dose of salmon oil and evening primrose oil. The current belief (although no actual levels have yet been specified) is that we require 2-3% of our total daily calories as essential fats, in a ratio of about 4 : 1. This roughly translates for the average person to about 4000mg evening primrose oil, and 1000mg salmon oil. People with insulin resistance, diabetes, overweight, hypercholesterolaemia (especially hypertriglyceridaemia), inflammatory disorders and infertility require this amount PLUS additional doses to act therapeutically to ‘rectify’ a certain problem. However, a diet without these special fats will not only be dangerous in the long-term, but also make you lose fat MUCH MORE SLOWLY!! Best you get your omega’s and ensure that you are taking enough!! In an overall sense, you are absolutely right. Completely cutting out all fats is dangerous because then we consume no ‘Essential fatty acids”. These are otherwise known as omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. Now, you will notice that one of the biggest messages in my books are that you unequivocally MUST take a daily dose of salmon oil and evening primrose oil. The current belief (although no actual levels have yet been specified) is that we require 2-3% of our total daily calories as essential fats, in a ratio of about 4 : 1. This roughly translates for the average person to about 4000mg evening primrose oil, and 1000mg salmon oil. People with insulin resistance, diabetes, overweight, hypercholesterolaemia (especially hypertriglyceridaemia), inflammatory disorders and infertility require this amount PLUS additional doses to act therapeutically to ‘rectify’ a certain problem. However, a diet without these special fats will not only be dangerous in the long-term, but also make you lose fat MUCH MORE SLOWLY!! Best you get your omega’s and ensure that you are taking enough!!

]]> Comment on Are sugar and sweets bad? by Tabitha Hume http://www.tabithahume.com/2010/are-sugar-and-sweets-bad#comment-2 Tabitha Hume Tue, 16 Nov 2010 07:37:00 +0000 http://www.tabithahume.com/?p=764#comment-2 The answer comes from knowledge. In the old days, we saw people eating a lot of sweet things and getting fat, so it made sense to say that sweets and sugar make you fat. However, there are three things that are being missed here: Firstly, the sweet things that those fatter people tucked into were laden with fats, too (think cakes, chocolates). Secondly, food (thank heavans!) has become a topic of scientific research, rather than just a whole load of old wive’s rumours and hearsay being gospel! And this research now shows us that sugar doesn’t make you fat! Sugar cannot be converted to fats without some serious overload in the liver (and you’d really need to eat a lot of sugar for that to happen!). Also, sucrose (what cane sugar is called by the white-coats) is a moderate GI (it releases its component glucoses into the blood fairly slowly, and so doesn’t spike insulin levels - as previously believed. As a result, sugar and sugarey foods can be eaten in moderate amounts (for instance, 1 sugar in your tea, 2 tsp sugar in your cereal), and this cannot cause fat gain. Included in the diet, sugar can not only make the diet easier to follow because the food is much nicer, but also makes ‘tricky foods’ easier to eat (for instance, many kids prefer not to eat vegetables, but cooked peas with a little sugar and chopped mint on them makes anybody want to wolf down loads!). So, can you eat jelly tots and still get thinner? Yes, if you take them sometimes, and strictly WITH or AFTER a low GI meal or intense exercise. However, if you hoover down 3 packets of jelly tots per day, then you won’t get fat. But you won’t get thin either. I always say, keep those jelly tots for the days when you would have gone for a chocolate; you know, when your boss has given you a hard time, or the kids are driving you crazy, or, in women, just before that time of the month. Sometimes we have to listen to a craving, and instead of having a chocolate which will actually undo all of your hard work losing weight, you can have a packet of jelly sweeties, and just stay the same for that day. That’s OK! We all have ‘blipses’. And if you learn that these blipses won’t HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT, but certainly WON’T ACTUALLY MAKE YOU FAT, then it all seems a little easier to know where we can be ‘naughty’ and still remain ‘nice’! Everything in moderation, then fat loss is easy to achieve and also to maintain for ever! The answer comes from knowledge. In the old days, we saw people eating a lot of sweet things and getting fat, so it made sense to say that sweets and sugar make you fat. However, there are three things that are being missed here: Firstly, the sweet things that those fatter people tucked into were laden with fats, too (think cakes, chocolates). Secondly, food (thank heavans!) has become a topic of scientific research, rather than just a whole load of old wive’s rumours and hearsay being gospel! And this research now shows us that sugar doesn’t make you fat! Sugar cannot be converted to fats without some serious overload in the liver (and you’d really need to eat a lot of sugar for that to happen!). Also, sucrose (what cane sugar is called by the white-coats) is a moderate GI (it releases its component glucoses into the blood fairly slowly, and so doesn’t spike insulin levels – as previously believed. As a result, sugar and sugarey foods can be eaten in moderate amounts (for instance, 1 sugar in your tea, 2 tsp sugar in your cereal), and this cannot cause fat gain. Included in the diet, sugar can not only make the diet easier to follow because the food is much nicer, but also makes ‘tricky foods’ easier to eat (for instance, many kids prefer not to eat vegetables, but cooked peas with a little sugar and chopped mint on them makes anybody want to wolf down loads!).
So, can you eat jelly tots and still get thinner? Yes, if you take them sometimes, and strictly WITH or AFTER a low GI meal or intense exercise. However, if you hoover down 3 packets of jelly tots per day, then you won’t get fat. But you won’t get thin either. I always say, keep those jelly tots for the days when you would have gone for a chocolate; you know, when your boss has given you a hard time, or the kids are driving you crazy, or, in women, just before that time of the month. Sometimes we have to listen to a craving, and instead of having a chocolate which will actually undo all of your hard work losing weight, you can have a packet of jelly sweeties, and just stay the same for that day. That’s OK! We all have ‘blipses’. And if you learn that these blipses won’t HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT, but certainly WON’T ACTUALLY MAKE YOU FAT, then it all seems a little easier to know where we can be ‘naughty’ and still remain ‘nice’!
Everything in moderation, then fat loss is easy to achieve and also to maintain for ever!

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