Chocolate

Chocolate is a food made from the seeds of a cacao tree. It is used in many foods like pudding, cakes, candy, and ice cream. It can be a solid form like a chocolate bar or it can be in a liquid form like hot chocolate. The taste of chocolate is often described as sweet because chocolate makers usually add a lot of sugar and milk for taste. This can mean that chocolate is bad for your health, so it is best to eat it in moderation.

Easter nutrition tips!

March 23, 2016 By Belinda Elwin

It seems like Christmas has just passed and we’re finally getting on track with healthy dietary patterns when Easter appears out of nowhere – another opportunity for over indulging for 4 or so days! In fact, the indulgences will likely draw out over coming weeks due to the abundance of chocolates received and the need to ‘get them out of the house’ as quick as possible which results in the consumption of copious amounts in short time … [Read more...]

‘Slimming Chocolate’ Study Fools the World’s Media

June 26, 2015 By @entwellbeing

A recent study claimed to find that those who follow a low-carbohydrate diet but that eat a chocolate bar each day lose weight faster than if they did not have the chocolate bar. However, the real aim of the study was to test how susceptible people were to believing the information and getting it in to the news/ social media, despite many significant flaws in the fake study design. ‘A miracle study received significant worldwide media coverage … [Read more...]

Easter and chocolate cravings

April 2, 2015 By Belinda Elwin

Easter is here and I am going to take this opportunity to provide you with the skills to rid those chocolate cravings! It won’t be easy but it will be worth it. Consider why you want to beat the craving Taking the time to sit down and think about how overeating, emotional eating and cravings are affecting you and your future is important. It may seem over the top but eating too much of a certain food can have significant impacts on your health. … [Read more...]

5 Surprising Ways Your Friends Are Influencing Your Weight

June 17, 2014 By @entwellbeing

It’s no secret that your friends influence your taste in music and clothes, but a growing body of research suggests that their words and actions might hold sway over your weight as well. In our new book, “Thinfluence,” I and my co-authors, Dr. Walter Willett and Dr. Malissa Wood, explore the studies that make this connection. And what we found about the ways your friends could be affecting your weight-related behaviors might surprise you. 1. … [Read more...]

The Lure of Forbidden Food

May 27, 2014 By @entwellbeing

By TARA PARKER-POPE, NYT How hard will your child work for food? In an experiment, researchers at Pennsylvania State University gave preschool children the opportunity to “work” for a food reward. All the child had to do was click a computer mouse four times to earn a cinnamon-flavored graham cracker. But earning additional treats required progressively more effort. A second treat required eight clicks. Then 16. Then 32. Some children … [Read more...]

Chocolate cravings

April 24, 2014 By Belinda Elwin

There’s no denying the rich flavours, creamy texture, aromatic smell and comforting feelings that chocolate provides. It is truly a treat for the senses that compares to no other. Even the Myans and Aztecs believed it was a ‘food of the Gods’. About chocolate cravings Chocolate must be one of the most commonly over indulged discretionary foods. Most women in particular seem to understand chocolate cravings and have experienced them at one time … [Read more...]

Chocolate, eggs and Easter

April 17, 2014 By Belinda Elwin

I’ll be honest, I’ve never bothered too much about chocolate consumption at Easter time. I love the crack of the chocolate egg shell after it’s been in the fridge and this year, I bought a chocolate ‘Easter Advent Calender’ which was supposed to start this week, but I’ve already finished it. Having already consumed my regular Easter chocolate quota for 2014, I thought I’d seek out some advice from a dietitian about why chocolate (when … [Read more...]

Emotional eating

April 8, 2014 By Belinda Elwin

We all deal with stress and emotions in different ways. However, one common denominator is the disturbance to our regular diet and eating patterns. For some, this may mean completely being turned off food. On the other hand, it is remarkably common for people going through an emotional or stressful period in their life to lose complete restraint over what and how much they are eating. Food is then used as a coping mechanism. To make matters … [Read more...]

Heart Healthy Valentine’s Day

February 13, 2014 By Belinda Elwin

Heart Healthy Valentine’s Day Whether you are celebrating with a loved one, friends or your cats, the following tips will help to ensure you do not literally love them to an early death! 1. Rather than spoiling your Valentine with a cliché box of chocolates, opt for a more meaningful gift. If heartfelt poems aren’t up your alley, jewellery is usually well received and forgoes the calories and fat.Alternatively, well presented gift boxes full of … [Read more...]

Discretionary Food

September 26, 2013 By Belinda Elwin

What is discretionary food? A discretionary food item is a food or drink that does not fit in to the rest of the 5 food groups. You may know it as an “extra” or “sometimes” food. They are exactly as they sound in that their consumption should be done so with discretion – this is because these foods are not necessary as part of a healthy diet. Discretionary foods often have a higher than recommended saturated fat, added sugar/salt or energy … [Read more...]