Nutrition and diet

The portfolio diet: healthier lipids in the bag?

Lifestyle modification for people at high cardiovascular risk includes positive changes to their diet. The portfolio diet is a new approach to lowering cholesterol that builds on a conventional cardioprotective diet by including specific foods that are known to target abnormal lipids.

Discussing weight status with patients: words and context matter

Although primary care consultations appear to represent an excellent opportunity to discuss a patient’s weight status, GPs may be reluctant to do so. Excess weight can be an extremely sensitive issue and some terms (such as obese and fat) may provoke highly negative emotions. People who are overweight or obese say they would find unsolicited advice off-putting, but would also be more likely to try to lose weight if advised by a health professional than by family or friends.

Fat: separating the facts from the fiction

Fat is an important part of the diet, providing fat-soluble vitamins and essential fatty acids, as well as a valuable source of energy or calories. Fat also increases the palatability and carries the flavour of many of our foods. The problem is, despite decades of public health campaigns, most of us still eat too much of the wrong fat. Understanding the different types of fat can help us to advise our patients on ways to optimise their diets.

The ultimate cholesterol lowering plan in practice: case study

Cardiovascular disease (CVD), including coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke, is the leading cause of mortality in the UK. In addition to the effect on quality of life, CHD imposes a huge annual burden with costs on healthcare relating to CHD estimated to be over £3.3 billion a year in the UK.1 Coupled with the obesity epidemic, costing the NHS an estimated £4.2 billion per year,2 this creates a huge burden upon healthcare resources. This article was sponsored by an educational grant from Alpro soya UK; however, the views expressed are the author’s own.

How to use glycaemic index as a dietary tool for controlling type 2 diabetes

Glycaemic index (GI) is a hot topic, often misunderstood by healthcare professionals and patients. This article fills the gaps by explaining the low-GI diet in detail, describing the benefits and barriers to using GI in practice, the benefits in patients with diabetes and the controversy that surrounds it. The aim is to help primary care professionals to make informed decisions on when and how to use GI in helping patients with diabetes to plan their diet.

Making sense of salt and cardiovascular risk

While salt is an essential part of a healthy diet excessive salt intake is now an important focus for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease in the UK. It is estimated that reducing everyone’s salt intake to the equivalent of one teaspoon per day would prevent 23,000 deaths from stroke and heart attack each year. Here are practical ideas for helping to achive this goal.

Eating well for your kidneys

Diet and lifestyle strategies are essential in the treatment and possibly in the prevention of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Dietary modification plays a fundamental role in helping to control increased levels of blood electrolytes and metabolic waste productsthat are often seen as renal function declines. Dietary and lifestyle modification may not directly influence disease progression in CKD, but several lifestyle factors have been highlighted as important due to the significant influence they exert over associated factors such as diabetes and hypertension, which are two of the leading causes of CKD, and obesity.

Very low energy diets: the key facts

In recent years it seems as if there has been an increase in the popularity of very low energy diets (VLEDs) and new programmes are readily available to our patients on the high street. This article explains the background and theory behind VLEDs so that you can better inform and support your patients if they are considering one of these diets.

Whole grain breakfasts for trimmer waists

Central obesity remains a big issue in the UK. The accumulation of adipose tissue in the abdominal region is a particular risk factor for chronic disease and mortality.1 In 2008, 39% of adults in England had a waist circumference indicative of central obesity (above 88 cm for women and 102 cm for men).2,3 Two proven effective dietary strategies for reducing waist circumference are the inclusion of whole grain foods in the diet and the avoidance of meal skipping.4 Advice to start the day with whole grain breakfast cereal and/or whole grain bread combines these two strategies in one simple and feasible practical message.

How to advise patients on fortifying their diet

Adequate nutrition is an important part of keeping healthy. Some patients – particularly the elderly – may find it difficult to consume an adequate diet to provide all the components to maintain good health. In this case, fortifying the diet may be helpful. Our keep and copy guide over the page provides practical tips for you to photocopy and give to patients and their carers on how to fortify their diet without using oral nutritional supplements.

Dietary change post-MI – the key aspect of lifestyle change

Recent research suggests that post-MI patients are not being optimally managed. Awareness and implementation of guideline recommendations could improve outcomes in this patient group.

Eating healthily on a tight budget

Save the Children, a charity well known for its work helping children in war-torn or faminestruck countries, recently announced that it is now handing out grants to struggling UK families who cannot afford to feed themselves. In a recent report, the charity suggests that the credit crunch has led to an increase of 11.3% in cost of food over the last year. It is not surprising that many parents have now cut back on food expenditure, with the poorest of families spending less on their weekly shop than ever before. How can we provide patients with tips on eating healthily on a tight budget?

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