Welcome to the nzgirl Healtheries Q&A page where nutritionist and naturopath Vicki Martin answers your questions. Got something you want to ask? Hit the button below to submit it.
I get back pain I get quite bad back pain, and have been told that cardio is good for this. However I am quite skinny so I do not want to lose any more body fat by doing too much cardio. What do you recommend? Thanks!
Back pain can be caused by a variety of factors, however jarring your spine with cardio work won't help, nor do you need to lose weight - so cardio is not for you until your back is better. For your condition I would suggest yoga, tai chi, stretching or pilates classes along with some weight training. These exercises stretch, tone and strengthen the muscles, tendons and ligaments which support your spine. They help to improve your posture and have the end result of improving your back pain. Weight training will also give shape and tone to a slim body.
Butter or marg? Is butter better for you than margarine?
This is a good question. There are pluses and minuses on both sides. Butter is a saturated fat, the worst kind of fat, which contributes to heart disease and a variety of other health problems. New Zealanders eat the most butter in the word and we have the highest heart disease rates in the world. Margarine (the best brands are those with olive oil) have little or no saturated fat, and olive oil (a mono-unsaturated fat) helps to reduce heart disease.
However, margarines do have some small amounts of transfats - these are fats which occur due to the processing of the oils - and unfortunately it appears that even these can contribute to heart disease. Which to take? Try to avoid both where possible - the downside is that they are both high in fat and so will contribute to weight gain. Use a little low fat salad dressing, some hummus, or avocado instead, and try your jam sandwich without - it really will taste just the same.
I need to gain weight I am trying to gain weight. I feel I am too thin and under-nourished. I work out for one hour in the mornings and mostly have fruits, bread and milk for breakfast. I just don’t seem to have that glow in my face. Can you please suggest what I should do?
Protein is the stuff for you. Humans are totally made of protein, so to get healthy, increase this valuable nutrient at each of three meals daily. Eggs, fish and seafood, cottage cheese, lean meat, chicken, and yoghurt are all excellent sources. Make sure you have a good handful of protein at each meal.
For breakfast I recommend a healthy muesli containing nuts, seeds, and dried fruits topped with fruit and yoghurt, or eggs and tomatoes on toast. A big wholemeal bread sandwich at lunch with meat, chicken, or tuna with plenty of salad, and make sure you eat your meat and three veg at night. Snack on raw fruit, veg, and nuts and seeds where possible, and don't forget to have a Spriulina drink now and then - full of protein and nutrients.
Diet and hormones I was wondering what the best foods for hormone imbalance are? For example I used to have really heavy bad periods, but now they hardly come and last month I had a hormone injection from the doctor to make my period come Are there some foods that would help with the progesterone balance in my body?
Hormones are made from protein. Increase the level of protein (meat, chicken, fish, eggs, cheese, and yoghurt) in your diet. Make sure you have a good helping of protein at each of your three meals daily. Diminishing periods possibly indicates that your iron levels may need a boost too.
Do avoid tea, coffee, cola, and chocolate drinks as these prevent the absorption of iron. Vitamin B6 and vitamin E are nutrients known to contribute to raising progesterone levels, so I would recommend a daily combination multi such as Healtheries Women’s Multi Capsule which provides all of these essential nutrients.
Career info I know it's kind of off topic but I would love to hear about what Vicki Martin's career as a nutritionist and naturopath entails. I'm considering a career in nutrition myself and especially like the idea of combining it with naturopathy.
The best nutrition training in New Zealand is found at the University of Otago where you can do a Batchelor of Consumer and Applied Sciences, specialising in Nutrition, or at the Massey University Campus in Auckland where you can do a Batchelor of Science specialising in Nurtition. You may wish to go on and spend a Post Graduate Year studying Dietetics which is what I have done.
Naturopathic colleges are in most centres of New Zealand now and you can do a Diploma of Naturopathy as I did, or a degree in Complementary Medicine. After I studied these I also went to China and Japan for three years and studied Traditional Chinese Medicine, however you can now do these studies in New Zealand.
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