New Year Positive Health

Dietitians can help guide you through the maze of misinformation and sift out clear, practical messages from sensationalism and quick fixes.

There is always a media frenzy around weight loss and quick fixes in the new year and many companies too will be embarking on health and wellbeing campaigns to support employees.

I believe that it is important to think about long term health and wellbeing. Quick fixes are just that. They are not sustainable and don’t help us think about our health in the most positive of ways.

I always feel it is a good idea to just let the new year settle in for a bit and then think about positive goals for the year. Embracing health goals overall I find a more positive approach than focussing just on things like weight.

As a dietitian, I have a wealth of experience in supporting individuals with a wide variety of health issues, I have the background expertise in science and nutrition. Understanding behaviour change models and practical ideas that can fit different lifestyles is key to positive outcomes. Once size does not fit all, meaning that as dietitians we do not use a one diet for everyone, we are all individuals afterall. That is also why as dietitians, we do not tend to give prescriptive meal plans as our experience shows that understanding the key messages and how that translates to your own lifestyle is more productive.

Experience in delivering health and wellbeing programmes and working with individuals has shown me that what is valued most is practical take home nuggets (and that is not the fast food variety!).

Key messages for good health and nutrition:

• Eat a wide variety of fruit and vegetables
• Include wholegrains
• Choose lean protein sources, including plant based proteins
• Include some milk and milk yogurts (or alternatives) for calcium
• Opt for healthier fat sources such as nuts and seeds, oily fish and use unsaturated fats like olive oil or rapeseed instead of saturated (hard) fats
• Keep a limit on high fat high sugar foods (you all know what I mean here – it’s the biscuits, cakes, chocolates and fizzy drinks!)
• Finally keep well hydrated – aim for 6-8 glasses/cups of fluid daily.



Here is to a happy and healthy 2022!