Should I drink coffee?

This really depends on how well you metabolize caffeine – slow metabolisers may find coffee increases their blood pressure or disrupts their sleep. The general rule of thumb is max 4 cups a day, black or with milk, not creamers, and without sugar.

Conditions like heartburn, pregnancy, high blood pressure, adrenal stress and blood sugar problems can reduce the recommended daily consumption to between 0 -2 cups per day.

Is diet or exercise more effective for weight loss?

Most of us cannot outrun our forks and have a 80% diet / 20% exercise contribution to weight loss.  Genes play a role here and could favour you with a 70% diet / 30% exercise, or the odd lucky 50% contribution.

Are fats or carbohydrates more fattening?

This is genetically determined and will differ from person to person. However the most detrimental are those foods, that combine both carbs and fats.

Should I take supplements?

Factors like dietary intake, exercise, genetics, medical conditions, alcohol, smoking, pregnancy or medication use determines what you would need.  If you do decide to take supplements, make sure you buy from a reputable company – and try have those that are sourced from food or are in a food-state rather than chemical.

Be prepared to pay a premium for better quality products – where health is concerned you either pay now or pay later.

How much sleep do I need?

7 – 8 hours is ideal, quality matters.

Which are the best fruit and veg to eat?

A variety of them all!  The colours of fruit and veg tells you what nutrients they contain, so try to eat the rainbow every day: blue/purple, green, yellow, orange, red, white/tan.  If you must pick one…. Make it broccoli.

How much exercise must I do?

The world health organization recommends 150 minutes of cardiovascular exercise and 2 sessions of strength/ resistance training a week.

What about fasting?

Fasting is a vital part of many religions and can be useful in maintaining or even restoring health and function. By giving the body a break from digesting and assimilating food, excess energy can be used for other processes.  However fasting is dependent on your current health condition and may be contra-indicated, so it needs to be discussed with your dietician beforehand.

Can I drink alcohol?

The only alcohol with potential health benefits is red wine.  However, using any alcohol can potentially increase your risk for a variety of diseases, so Teetotal is best if you can!