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Banting Christmas lunch

December 14th, 2020 by The Hello Doctor Team

If this is your first holiday as a banter, or you’re having LCHF guests over for Christmas lunch, you might be wondering where to begin. Here are some suggestions on how to make it a fabulous and stress-free day.

When it comes to LCHF, it’s all in the name – low carbs and high fat means much less starch and more proteins and healthy fats. For traditional holiday fare, this means no floury gravies and stuffing, or sugary cakes and desserts. Your roasted chicken or turkey is great for banting, simply replace a bread-based stuffing with sausage-based one. When it comes to gammon, avoid recipes that include sugar-rich glazes, and substitute roast potatoes with sweet potatoes. We’ve included a delicious broccoli and cauliflower bake recipe as a side-dish option.

What’s for Dessert?

To make sure your banters don’t feel short-changed after the main course, put together a fruit, nut and cheese-board that you can keep chilled and serve after lunch – you’ll probably find non-banters treating themselves to these goodies. For your cheese-board, think of including any combination of the following:

  • Any full-cream cheese: Brie, Camembert, Edam, blue cheeses – whatever is to your taste.
  • Fresh fruits that stay firm and don’t colour: blueberries, cherries, strawberries, figs, raspberries, gooseberries, watermelon cubes, and kiwi fruit slices.
  • Nuts, such as toasted almonds and cashews.
  • You can include a bowl of delicious full-cream yoghurt or cream flavoured with some fresh vanilla and a little honey.

Bon appetite!

Which diet will suit you best?

January 27th, 2020 by Content Editor

Back in the day, “going on a diet” meant eating small morsels of food or snacking on grapefruit and lettuce leaves.

Today, diets aren’t one-size-fits-all and there’s finally a better understanding of personalised nutrition. If you’re thinking of changing up your diet to lose weight, eat more healthily or just have a change, check with your doctor or nutritionist to help you come up with a suitable plan. Your personal dietary needs and lifestyle will both need to be considered.

Here are 5 healthy diets to help you get started.

Paleo

The paleo diet is designed to resemble what human hunter-gatherer ancestors ate thousands of years ago. You can eat as much as you like but only the right foods. It doesn’t limit calories or consist of portion control. For this diet you need to eat whole, unprocessed foods. If possible, choose grass-fed and organic products. Basically, if it looks like it was made in a factory, don’t eat it.

Eat: Meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, healthy fats and oils.

Avoid: Processed foods, sugar, soft drinks, grains, most dairy products, legumes, artificial sweeteners, vegetable oils, margarine and Trans fats.

Benefit of the diet: It can help with weight loss, lowering blood pressure, and controlling blood sugar in the short term.

Potential risks: You may miss out on key nutrients. Eliminating dairy can leave you with lower levels of calcium and vitamin D. Over time, this could put you at risk of developing osteoporosis or bone fractures.

Vegan

Based exclusively on plant foods, this diet eliminates all animal products. Vegans need to pay special attention to their diets to avoid specific nutrient deficiencies.

The vegan diet is linked to several health benefits such as weight loss, improved heart health, and better blood sugar control. That’s because it’s low in saturated fat and rich in nutrients.

Benefit of the diet: It can reduce the risk of mortality from conditions like:

  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Coronary heart disease
  • Hypertension
  • Stroke
  • Obesity
  • Some cancers including prostate and colon cancer

Potential risks: If you’re switching to or following a vegan diet ask your doctor if you should take supplements to replace some nutrients, or should consume more fortified foods.

Low-carb, whole-food diet

The low-carb, whole-food diet is perfect for people who need to lose weight, optimise health and lower their risk of disease. The diet is flexible and allows you to fine-tune your carb intake depending on your goals.

It’s high in vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, fruits, nuts and fats, but low in starches, sugars and processed foods.

Benefit of the diet: It may help prevent or improve serious health conditions like metabolic syndrome, diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. A moderately low-carbohydrate diet can help the heart provided protein and fat selections come from healthy sources.

Intermittent Fasting

Rather than restricting the foods you eat, intermittent fasting controls when you eat them. The diet cycles your body between periods of fasting and eating and can help you lose weight without following a traditional, calorie-restricted diet.

Benefit of the diet: Besides weight loss, the fasting can help improve glucose control, reduce liver fat and improve blood pressure.

Potential risks: Those who are brittle diabetics (have hard-to-control diabetes), have a history of eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia and pregnant or breastfeeding women should not attempt fasting unless they are under their doctor’s supervision.

The Atkins diet

The Atkins diet is split into 4 different phases:

Phase 1 (induction): Under 20 grams of carbs per day for 2 weeks. Eat high-fat, high-protein, with low-carb vegetables like leafy greens. This helps kick-start the weight loss.

Phase 2 (balancing): Slowly add more nuts, low-carb vegetables and small amounts of fruit back to your diet.

Phase 3 (fine-tuning): When you’re very close to your goal weight, add more carbs to your diet until weight loss slows down.

Phase 4 (maintenance): You can eat as many healthy carbs as your body can tolerate without regaining weight.

Benefit of the diet: Research suggests that people on the Atkins diet who chose foods rich in plant fat and protein did better with their health than those who went with the diet rich in animal fat and protein.

Potential risks: It cause fatigue as your body adjusts to using fat as a source of fuel. Always consult your doctor before starting a diet to make sure the balance of carbs, fat and protein is right for you.

References:

Tasty low-carb meals in 20 minutes

October 8th, 2018 by The Hello Doctor Team

When you’re hungry and strapped for time, a sandwich or some pasta may seem like the easy choice, but those choices are loaded with carbs. Step away from your usual unhealthy meals and try these quick, nutritious low-carb meals.

These are delicious, filling and will keep the kilos at bay too.

Low-carb tikka cauliflower rice

Cauliflower is a versatile and nutritious vegetable when it comes to cooking. It’s packed with fibre, antioxidants, and is a low-carb alternative to grains and legumes. Swap your usual steamed cauliflower for a flavourful, spicy meal instead.

Ingredients:

  • 1tbsp oil
  • 1onion, sliced or diced
  • 120ggreen beans, cut into 2 and 1/2 cm pieces
  • 1medium head cauliflower
  • 1/2tsp curry powder
  • 1/2tsp garam masala
  • 1/2tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2tsp turmeric
  • 1/4tsp ground cumin
  • Salt
  • Black pepper
  • 250g cherry tomatoes, halved
  • Fresh coriander, to serve

Method:

  1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok and add the onion and green beans. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes until the onion is soft.
  2. Remove the leaves from the cauliflower, and grate the white part.
  3. Add the cauliflower rice to the pan, and allow to cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it’s just starting to turn golden brown.
  4. Add the spices and season. Add the cherry tomatoes, and cook for a few more minutes, until the tomatoes begin to soften.
  5. Serve with plenty of fresh coriander.

Easy Pad Thai zoodles

A huge bowl of noodles is delicious, but not so kind to your figure. Try zoodles (zucchini noodles) for a healthier, lighter version of Pad Thai. Zucchini is low in carbs and high in fibre. So, it fills you up for longer without tempting you to overindulge. Cooked in flavourful spices and lime juice, Pad Thai zoodles will have you ready for seconds before you’re done with your first bowl!

Ingredients:

  • 3 large zucchinis
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 tbsp organic wheat-free soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 2 tbsp coconut sugar
  • 1 tbsp tamarind paste(optional)
  • 1 tsp fish sauce
  • 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
  • 3 scallions, sliced into 2½ cm pieces
  • 4 tbsp roasted cashews or almonds, chopped

Method:

  1. Stir soy sauce, lime juice, fish sauce, tamarind paste and red pepper flakes in a bowl. Set aside.
  2. Create your zucchini spaghetti with a peeler or spiral machine. Peel long, thin pieces, vertically to form zucchini “noodles”.
  3. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the zucchini noodles and cook for about 3 minutes, until the noodles are tender, but still a bit crunchy.
  4. Let the noodles rest for about 3 minutes so they can release all the moisture. Transfer noodles to a bowl and drain the excess water from the pan.
  5. Wipe the pan and heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes.
  6. Add scallions and sauté for 2 minutes or until tender.
  7. In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs with a fork. Pour them into the pan and scramble until they’re cooked and a bit soft.
  8. Pour the sauce into the skillet with scrambled eggs.
  9. Add the zoodles and cook until heated through.
  10. Sprinkle with chopped coriander and chopped almonds or cashews and serve.

References:

Banting vs. the Mediterranean diet

January 5th, 2018 by The Hello Doctor Team

There are many ways to get your body into shape. Whether you choose to go big on Banting, or cruise the Mediterranean diet – both have their pros and cons. Here’s what you need to know.

Med mania

When you hear “Mediterranean”, you might picture an idyllic scene overlooking a white sandy beach. In this scene, you’re scarfing down delicious fresh fish, fresh vegetables and salty olives.

The typical Mediterranean diet includes good fats, some carbs and a big side of vegetables. The diet is good for your heart because it replaces saturated and trans fats (which clog your arteries) with unsaturated fats.

It’s not a difficult diet to stick with as you don’t have to starve or cut out too many foods. Throw in some daily exercise, and you could also shed some unwanted weight!

Let’s eat Med

  • Fill up with loads of fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, legumes and olive oil.
  • Include lean sources of protein like poultry and fish, and avoid red meat as it has saturated fats.
  • Carbs come from fiber-rich, unrefined sources like beans or wholewheat bread.
  • Avoid processed food as far as possible.
  • Make olive oil the main fat in the diet.
  • A glass or two of red wine a day is fine.
  • Stock up on strawberries, fresh figs, grapes or apples. For dessert or snacks, opt for dried fruit and nuts.
  • Replace meat with fish like salmon and tuna, which will give you healthy fats like Omega-3-fatty acids.
  • Have at least two meals per week that consist of legumes (beans and lentils).
  • Snack on unsalted nuts to keep you going during the day and opt for healthy unsaturated fats.

Banting

At this point, who hasn’t heard of Banting? Basically, it’s all about minimal carbs and good fats. Banting fanatics swear it’s a great way to lose weight fast. A low-carb, high-fat diet is best suited to people with an insulin resistance.

Let’s Bant

  • Banting foods are split into three colour categories, namely, green, orange and red. Green is an all-you-can-eat list which can include 5-100g of animal protein, dairy, fats, flavourings, condiments, nuts, seeds and sweeteners.
  • The orange food group consists of ingredients containing 6-25g of carbs per 100g. This includes fruits, nuts, sweeteners and vegetables.
  • The red food group is the one that should be avoided as far as possible as they’re usually high in carbohydrates. Baked goods, soft drinks, dairy, dairy-related products, meat, starchy vegetables, fruit and sweeteners are included in this group.
  • Eat enough animal fat daily as this will help to keep you fuller for longer and stop you from overeating.
  • Include all vegetables in your diet, except butternut and starchy vegetables like potatoes.
  • Avoid eating too much protein and stick to the 100g limit.
  • Don’t have too many fruits and nuts as they naturally contain fructose, high contents of sugar.
  • If your goal is to lose weight while Banting, do at least 30 minutes of exercise per day.

Whichever diet you choose to follow, make sure you understand the requirements, and if it’s best suited for your needs. If in doubt, sign into the app and ask our doctors – they will be happy to help!

References:

Banting snacks for Boxing Day

December 26th, 2014 by The Hello Doctor Team

The year is almost over and what a year it has been! Many people all over South Africa have adopted the Tim Noakes Banting diet, to great effect. Many people claim that the change has improved their lives and their waist-line. The only issue is: the rules and changes aren’t easy, and it certainly isn’t made any easier now that it’s the holiday season. Continue reading “Banting snacks for Boxing Day”

Banting on less than R150 a week?

July 10th, 2014 by The Hello Doctor Team

A blogger (who’s also a medical doctor*) decided to give Professor Tim Noakes’ “banting” eating style a try, to challenge her own ideas about food and weight. Most importantly, she wanted to see whether cash-strapped South Africans could actually afford to eat this way, or whether it’s only possible for the small percentage of people living on a fillet steak and Norwegian salmon budget.

In short, here’s what she found out about the effects of banting: Her cravings for sweet things disappeared, she no longer had dips in energy after eating, and she managed to lose 1.7kg!

Continue reading “Banting on less than R150 a week?”

Is the #LCHF eating plan right for you?

May 28th, 2014 by The Hello Doctor Team

Low-carb high-fat (LCHF), banting – call it what you will – you’ve likely heard about it, know someone who’s on it, or you’re doing it yourself. The LCHF eating plan is incredibly popular right now, and a lot of people have had great results from it, but does that make it suitable for everyone? Not necessarily.

What if I’m vegetarian?

It’s doable, but you’ll need to radically increase the amount of protein you eat – and this can become expensive with the often exotic “green foods” on the LCHF eating plan. And if you’re vegan, it also poses problems – as the high-fat foods are often in the form of full cream dairy and cheese, which would need to be replaced with nut butters, avocados etc. If you’re a vegetarian and you’re looking for LCHF recipe ideas, check out: www.eatmorevegetarian.com.

What if I’m trying to gain weight?

While there isn’t a lot of research available on this, there are plenty of personal stories of people who have lost weight, and others who have gained healthy weight. What makes the LCHF eating plan different to others, is that there is little limitation on how much of the “green foods” you can eat – and there’s a lot to choose from. What you do need to be careful of is the balance of protein and fats, as too much or too little of either can have negative results. In theory though, you should be able to follow this eating plan if you’re looking to gain a few extra kilograms.

What if I have a food intolerance or allergy?

If you have a gluten intolerance or allergy, then the LCHF eating plan would clearly work for you. However, if you have a dairy/lactose intolerance, or avoid dairy for other reasons, then it could become a problem. Why? Because full-cream milk, cream, cheese, yoghurt and butter are all sources of protein and saturated fat, so you’d need to increase your intake of oils such as coconut oil to fill the gap.

What if I have a medical condition?

Professor Tim Noakes popularised LCHF in South Africa as an eating plan that helped prevent him from developing type 2 diabetes (he was previously pre-diabetic). If the eating plan is followed correctly, it can cause glucose and insulin levels to drop (higher levels of either are early indicators of diabetes). Noakes has also always been quick to claim that additional benefits such as weight-loss were a secondary effect – and not the intended purpose of the eating plan.

Interestingly, the Swedish government has recognised the LCHF eating plan as being suitable for people with type 2 diabetes and those looking to lose or maintain a healthy weight. There’s also evidence to suggest that if the eating plan is followed correctly, it could benefit people at risk for dangerous plaque build-up in their arteries. This is because this type of eating converts small, artery-clogging cholesterol modules into big, fluffy molecules – which are less likely to form plaque that builds up in arteries.

How can I be sure I’m making the right choice?

If you’re still not sure if the LCHF eating plan is for you, then speak to your doctor or dietician first. If you have a chronic condition, or if you’re taking certain prescription medication then they might also advise you against this type of eating plan. If you do decide to try it, then go for a medical check-up first and get your blood sugar levels tested – this way you can track any changes.

Want to find out more? Why not speak to one of our doctors – they’re online and available to take your call 24/7. Simply sign up on our website, and download the free Hello Doctor app from the Google Play or iTunes store. With the app, you can talk to, or text our doctors, anytime, anywhere!

References:

http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20031111/low-carb-high-fat-diet-drops-weight
http://www.muscleforlife.com/carbohydrates-and-weight-loss-should-you-go-low-carb/

Real life story: My journey on the Tim Noakes eating plan – Cherise Brady

May 5th, 2014 by The Hello Doctor Team

Over the past few months, Hello Doctor has been following Tim Noakes and the Real Meal Revolution closely. So closely in fact, that our very own CEO, Andy Milne, has been on the specialised eating plan for over 2 months now – with interesting results. If you want to find out how he’s been doing, you can catch up on everything on the Hello Doctor blog.

A short while ago, we received an email from one of our Facebook fans, Cherise Brady, who wanted to share her story and experience on the Tim Noakes eating plan too. She’s had some great results, and it just goes to show that dedication can go a long way!

Continue reading “Real life story: My journey on the Tim Noakes eating plan – Cherise Brady”

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