Better Call Saf (Registered Dietitian)

  First of all, what are the triglycerides ? - They are the most common fats in our body. - They are not just introduced by fatty food as you can imagine but also from: - Extra calories even if they are from carbohydrates like sugar or alcohol for example (because they will be converted and stored in fat cells). What's the difference with cholesterol? - Cholesterol can be used to build cell and hormones - Triglycerides instead are stored in cells, so they are both lipids but with different functions. Why is important to keep this under control? - To avoid risks of heart diseases is the main reason, especially stroke - To avoid the risk of the metabolic syndrome  The diagnosis: Usually when the levels are above 150 mg/dl they are considered high. It means that improvements are necessary in the lifestyle, so let's discuss them now in this post. "Grocery list" here some of the best ingredients to use in your daily intake to improve the triglycerides: - No added sugar be...

 Recovering after covid is often a slow process so here some practical tips from a nutritional point of view on how to recover faster and useful advice on how to deal with common side effects after the infection Once again is not about the quantity but the quality of food used, so when thinking about increasing your energetic intake through food is important to prefer good quality protein without increasing eccessevily the carbohydrates and fats that can be contained in the product Some examples of nourishing meals are: - Cottage cheese - Low fat and low sugar nordic style yogurt (high in protein)  - No added sugar baked beans  - Lentil soups/ Dhal  - Stew made with meat or Tofu/quorn as a alternative  - Handful of nuts  - Some other high quality protein includes: lean meat, non-fatty fish and pulses  - Green leafy vegetables  Another side effect is getting tired easily so how to deal with fatigue: - Considering to introduce Vitamin and suppleme...

  Becuase of work or leisure or any other reason, changes in your routine might happen and is normal at first to find difficulties to adapt, so here some tips to deal better with it  THINGS TO AVOID: - Overeating at night even during a long shift can increase the amount of calories stored in fat and increase the insulin resistance or chronic gut issues and eventrually affect your sleep during the day in a negative way, keep always in mind that calories at night still count   - If it's a new timetable, it doesn't make sense to try to keep all your old meal times, instead could be better to find a  whole new structure that could be at the same time easier to adapt and more functional, This could be one of the first steps to plan meals ahead - Consumption of caffeine can affect your sleep later on , so depending on your tollerance make sure to not drink it to later in the night, 5 or 6 hours before bed time  and make sure to have any drink that is not decaf...

  GI stands for Glicemin Index  This is used to measure how a specific food intake is going to rise your blood sugar levels The point is that having a low GI or slow release carbs will help to keep this level low and avoid having peaks with your glucose and therefore the hormones produced by the body during a peak of sugar in your blood The benefits is not a simple weight loss, this plan has a wide range of positve aspects including: - Lower the cholseterol levels  - Reducing the risks of heart diseases - More energy during the day thanks to the slow release of it  - Reducing the risk of developing Diabetes, or keep that under control if already diagnosed Anything that has a GI level can be classified in: LOW GI - under 55 MEDIUM GI -  56-69 HIGH GI - over 70 I will provide a list of food for each of these levels, to have an idea of what to reduce and what to prefer, for any particular ingredient you can also check this trustable source: https://glycemicindex.co...

COPD Symptoms, nutritional advice to improve the condition and things to avoid This post is available in English, Italian, Bengali, Spanish and Russian (continue to scroll down until the desired language and if not available you can use the box on the left to use the automatic translator)  COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)  includes a group of lung conditions that cause  Breathing difficulties Many people don't realise they have it, here some of the most common symptoms: - Breathlessness , especially when doing intense activities, and you can notice getting out of breath way earlier than you used to in the past - Persistent chesty cough and wheezing  These symptoms might appear in a very mild form (stage 1) at the beginning but they are usually persistent and that could be a red flag to talk with your Doctor to check and prevent to  avoid  getting worse (Stage 4: very severe) The cause is usually related to smoking or harmful dust/fumes...

When we talk about nutrition the fluids are included and hydration it's important  to assure the best performance mentally and physically, in this case by focusing more on the second one, we are going to discuss some ideas and formulas of sport drinks to make sure that fluids and minerals are correctly recovered, before we start with suggesting the formulas to choose from, let's make a recap of some practical tips when doing physical activity - Varieties is important to not get bored of the routine and planning ahead new drinks to try every week or when the season is changing can help to stay focused and continue your exercise regime instead of getting bored after few weeks   - Understanding your limits and your body, means also to adjust the dosages suggested in our drinks to avoid any hypoglycaemic side effect or to prefer the low fat or low sugar options if your target is to loose weight as well - Making sure to drink little and often instead of too much in one go, t...