Ask a Dietitian

Ask a Dietitian

"Diana, just a quick heads up to let you know we are still using your cookbook and the guys will often be heard saying what would Diana say about this or that....really good feed back... I made your potato salad and the oriental coleslaw on Sat. for a family luncheon and had rave reviews so thanks again."

Maeghan Henke
BC Hydro

Nutrition Questions from February 29/00 Noon News Hour

February 29th, 2000

As seen on BCTV February 29/00
VIEWER NUTRITION QUESTIONS FROM FEBRUARY 29, 2000 NOON NEWS HOUR


1) Nancy from Kitimat has a one-year-old child suffering from diarrhea. She has been told to put him on a lactose-free, sucrose-free diet.
Lactose and sucrose can be harder on the intestines than glucose. So in the case of severe diarrhea, glucose is generally an easier to digest source of carbohydrate. Additionally, in the case of severe diarrhea, some sugar is required to maintain energy and encourage re-hydration caused by the diarrhea. However, only follow a severely restricted diet while your doctor is supervising the process.

2) Lianne from Port Coquitlam craves chocolate.
If you rarely have chocolate, follow the “Pleasure Maximization Principle”. This means you might as well go big or go home and have quality chocolate. However, if you need to have it daily, try to get it in a nourishing form. For example, hot chocolate made from real low fat milk and cocoa, frozen yogurt or strawberries dipped in chocolate.

3) Jason from Surrey buys shredded mozzarella cheese but finds it goes bad quickly. Can you freeze it?
Yes, you can freeze grated cheese to prolong the shelf life. It is common for grated cheese to mold faster due to the higher surface area than a block of cheese. Once frozen, you can use the grated cheese the same ways you would use fresh.

4) Kelly from Abbotsford wants to know what margarine to buy.
Both the tropical oils – palm and coconut as well as hydrogenated fat are considered saturated and unhealthy. However, if I had to pick the worst one it would be hydrogenated as it is more of an unnatural, artificial fat than the tropical oils.

5) Carol from Vancouver wants to know what lipase is.
Lipase is an enzyme. It is used in the cheese as a preservative. For more information, please contact Dial-a-Dietitian at 732-9191 or 1-800-667-3438.

6) Tim from Kelowna is on a “no protein with carb” diet.
This is a very common misconception that originates from the book “Fit for Life”. There is no scientific rationale to back this notion. In fact, it is believed that mixed meals containing both protein and carbohydrate are digested and absorbed more easily.

Watch for the Eating for Energy segment every Tuesday on BCTV’s Noon News Hour!

Article written by Patricia Chuey and reprinted with permission