Got a question about your eating habits? nzgirl nutritionist Vicki has the answer for everything from the best breakfast to start the day, through to healthy dinner ideas.

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SUGAR CRAVINGS
I am an 18-year-old girl with a very unhealthy diet. My day consists of me picking at unhealthy snacks like chocolate ice cream and other sugary 'treats' that are actually what I call norm. I depend on sugar very strongly; without it I have terrible mood swings and am very lethargic. I drink Coke and V daily. Without this my side affects are very overwhelming. I also grind my teeth at night so badly that the dentist prescribed me a mouth guard. I’m not sure if this is linked. Although at the moment I am not noticing any weight gain I know in the future I’m going to be in for a rude awakening. I have been like this for as long as I can remember (a sugar fiend) and my mum is the same also although she is also very small. Can you suggest a gradual plan that could help me get away from this sugar craze?

Sugar cravings generally indicate low protein levels and poor blood sugar level balance. Start by making sure you have breakfast every day. When you do this your blood sugar levels will automatically start to balance and your sugar cravings will reduce. The best breakfast is either porridge or muesli, or wholegrain toast with eggs, cottage cheese, tuna, or pate. Add a piece of raw fruit. At first this type of food may seem strange to eat, but persevering will yield some really exciting results. Try this first and then start on reducing and cutting out the Coke and V.

Change your drinks to pure fruit juices only and dilute them with a little water. You are grinding your teeth because you lack magnesium. This mineral is lost when caffeine-containing drinks such as milo, coffee, cola, and tea are drunk regularly. Healtheries Chelated Magnesium tablets can help a lot with this problem.  Who buys the food in your house? If you are the culprit who buys or asks for Coke, V, icecream, and sugary foods, then stop bringing these foods home. Aim to only eat them when you are out and about. Instead buy nuts, seeds, and dried fruit - hang out at the bulk bins for these healthy items and avoid the lolly section. Finally check out The Cavewoman Diet. This will give you the basic idea of what healthy eating is all about.

BREAST BOOST
I am not very happy with my weight but I love the size of my boobs! Is there any way that I can tone/ lose weight without losing my boobs?

There are no guarantees when you lose weight which part of your body it will go from unfortunately. However you could try taking Healtheries Evening Primrose Oil capsules as some women report that this essential oil helps to keep their breast tissue in good shape. The other way of preserving your shape is by exercising your chest muscles (pectorals). Weight lifting and various stretching exercises can keep your breasts in good shape while the rest of you trims down. A trainer at the gym will be able to give you the right exercises to keep your breasts in shape.

LISTEN TO YOUR BODY
At the age of 13 I became anorexic. I sought help from family and doctors and recovered within two years. However, as I feared of the problems which were associated with anorexia I wanted to gain the weight quickly and with a lot of determination I did this. Once at a reasonable weight for my height I was unable to stop the eating even though I didn’t need to gain more weight. I think this was a fear that I would end up back in the same situation. I am now overweight but am to scared to diet. I am unsure of a suitable eating plan and exercise regime that will ensure I do this safely. If you could please provide an example or give any suitable suggestions, that would be great!

I recommend that you go to see a Registered Dietitian. Even one visit would put you on the right path, and help to give you the confidence in planning your daily food intake and working out an exercise regime. It would be money well worth spending. You could also get a referral from your doctor to see a Dietitian at the outpatients department of your local hospital.  Meanwhile I recommend you read my article The Cavewoman Diet. It is not a weight loss diet, but a healthy eating guide, which will give you some idea of which foods to say no to and which foods to say yes to.

There are no quantity guidelines because it is important to learn to listen to your body 'fill' levels. Getting in touch with your inner "fill level" is hard to begin with but with practice you will learn to hear it say either - 'I don't need any more thanks', or 'I do need some more' - which is different from 'I must eat the lot'. When you are listening to your body you may also find it saying it would like more low density foods - fruits, vegetables, etc and that it has had enough of high density foods - such as bread, biscuits, etc. It takes time and practice to do this, and you will have to slow down and listen, rather than grab and eat.  For exercise I recommend ½ to one hour of exercise per day such as walking, swimming, yoga, dancing, gym, stretching exercises or roller blading.

SHIFT WORK BLUES
I have recently started a new job and the hours are 12pm to 9pm. I really don't think I'm eating enough now but I'm not sure of the best way of doing it. I have porridge about 8am, and then I don't feel like eating again before I start at 12, but once I'm there I don't really get breaks until dinner. I usually have a protein shake about 2pm, which is sort of my lunch, then I snack on dried fruit and nuts while I work. I'll have a dinner break at about 6, which might be soup or a stirfry, with a piece of fruit. I work at a gym so I work out most days or walk, and by the time I get home at night I'm absolutely ravenous. I have to have something to eat then but I don't want to eat too much. I'm not sleeping very well either, which I think is because I don't have enough food in me. I'm watching my weight so I don’t want to put any on. How should I be eating?

Shift work like this can play havoc with your system and make you very rundown unless you get a good program worked out. This is what I recommend: Continue with your porridge for breakfast, but add some almonds and sunflower seeds to boost the protein content, and also add some raw fruit to boost the vitamin C levels.  Without fail have something substantial to eat before you go to work at 12.

This is vital as your current eating habits are missing this meal, and I am not surprised that you are so ravenous in the evening and have difficulty sleeping. Even though you don't feel hungry and may feel a bit stuffed, you need to get the food into you to keep you going, so aim to eat at 11am. I suggest a wholegrain sandwich or pita bread with hummus, plus ham, chicken, tuna, or egg, topped with salad ingredients. A protein shake and a piece of fruit later on at work will be fine, but do also have a proper dinner (stir fry rather than soup) later in the evening. Although you may not feel like eating at 11am, it won't put any weight on. If however, you skip this meal, you will find that eventually you will gain weight, as your metabolic rate slows down due to the lack of nutrition. Once you start on this regime you will feel a lot better, and notice that you are not so interested in food when you come home, and your sleep will be much more settled.

SINUS SNUFFLE FREE
I have had acute sinusitis for about 8 years and wondered if there’s any special diet or natural health supplements that I could try to help minimise the reoccurrence of sinus attacks. I’ve tried years of antibiotics, prednisone (twice), and sprays, which have proven to be unsuccessful and I don’t think antibiotics are doing me any justice long term. I’ve heard that wheat and dairy free diets can help and I tried to eliminate this from my diet for a month which appeared to be effective. But I worry that the absence of milk in my diet could affect my calcium levels. Any suggestions?

It is worth trying a milk and cheese free diet for a minimum of six weeks to see if this helps your problem. (Leave wheat in your diet for this stage and eliminate it later). For some people, acidophilus yoghurt and cottage cheese don't cause quite so much of a problem so you may want to keep these foods in your diet for a few weeks to maintain your calcium intake, but if the problem still remains then these will have to go as well. Avoiding tea, cola, milo, and coffee, also helps to reduce sinus problems.

Calcium enriched soymilk and soy products are a good source of calcium and the best replacement for milk and cheese. You can also increase other calcium containing foods in your diet e.g. nuts, seeds, green vegetables, salmon, and tuna. If milk and cheese exclusion does not reduce the problem completely after six weeks, then the next step is to trial eliminating wheat from your diet. You may also want to try Healtheries Odourless Garlic, Vitamin C & Horseradish tablets which are helpful for relieving sinus problems naturally. More information on these is available on the Healtheries website www.healtheries.co.nz

BANANA FACTS
I have recently starting munching on whole dried bananas as an alternative to muesli bars. I am curious about the nutritional value and kilojoule content of whole dried bananas versus fresh bananas?

Mostly everything that is in fresh bananas is in dried bananas; however in general it is multiplied by three times. So if you have a cupful of fresh sliced banana, the nutrients, carbohydrates, and calories can be approximately multiplied by three for a cupful of dried banana. e.g. a cupful of fresh banana contains 134 kcals (556kJ) and a cup of dried banana contains 346 kcals (1448kJ). However, in terms of sustainability, the protein levels are much better in the dried bananas (3.89gms) as opposed to the fresh (1.64 gms). The water soluble nutrients - vitamin C and vitamin B's are all much lower in the dried bananas, as a consequence of the
drying procedure.

ENDO DIET
I have recently been diagnosed with endometriosis. My specialist recommended I be very careful about what I eat as a way of controlling the symptoms. Do have any suggestions for a healthy diet for endometriosis sufferers?

I suggest you check out The Cavewoman Diet article. Eating food that is as fresh and unprocessed as possible seems to be helpful. It appears that our Westernised processed food diet may have something to do with this condition. Avoiding sugar and caffeine containing foods and drinks also seems to make quite a difference - this means no fizzy drinks, coffee, cola, tea, or milo, and avoiding alcohol and cigarettes. Increasing wholegrains also seems to help e.g. rolled oats or muesli as opposed to sugary cereals, brown as opposed to white rice, wholemeal flour and bread, not white, wholemeal pasta and noodles instead of white.

Getting your liver into better shape is what most naturopaths recommend for endometriosis. The herb Milk Thistle is helpful for this (Healtheries Liver Aid contains this natural herb), as well as improving daily bowel regularity and reducing any thrush or candida problems (try Healtheries Yeastop and Healtheries Aloe Vera Juice for these). Vitamin C helps to strengthen the blood vessels and reduce bleeding so a daily dose of Ester C (a de-acidified form) is also essential.

COELIAC DISEASE
What do you suggest would be a sensible diet for someone who is allergic to wheat, gluten and soy - I have been tested. I am also AB+ blood type. I feel I'm prone to putting weight on because of all this and don’t really have the money to spend on a dietician to put me right. Any hints would be gratefully received.

On the Healtheries website go to 'Health by Lifestage' and have a read of the Coeliac Disease article. There is a variety of information there on foods to eat and websites that you can go to. Also check out the recipes section as there are wheat and gluten free recipes on the list. Click here to get information on all the wheat and gluten free foods that Healtheries produces. Look for the wheat and gluten free logo on all of Healtheries products, supplements and foods for your safety and convenience. I also suggest you ask your doctor for a referral to an outpatients Dietitian at your local hospital, with coeliac disease you should be entitled to
one visit at least.

Vicki Martin ND. Nutritionist, Naturopath