Losing weight is somewhat of a “trial and improvement” process.

Many have benefited from eating five small meals a day as this regulates one’s insulin and helps in avoiding to put on excess fat (though it is important to note what one eats is imperative for this method to be of benefit – eating McDonalds five times a day will not quite work.)

You don’t necessarily have to eat five times a day. You could have three good meals and in between them have a snack (e.g. fruit). The five times a day “thing” is more of an opportunity for people to graze as opposed to gorge themselves with excess food at one sitting.

Eating protein and vegetables with each meal is an excellent idea. Though don’t over do it with the protein and remember you need starchy carbohydrates as well in your diet (e.g. brown rice, brown wraps/bread, beans, quinoa etc.)

When people say “stay away from fatty foods”, what they mean is stuff like biscuits, sweets etc. We all need fatty foods in our diet, but of course healthy fatty foods (containing the Omega acids), such as wild Alaskan salmon and various other fish, nuts (unroasted and unsalted), olive oil etc.

Remember variation and moderation.

I hope you are exercising too, for eating healthily combined with dieting is a killer combo!

I have always heard that one must stay away from fatty foods and eat a balanced meal three times a day and of course no eating at night. But i have now read that you should actually eat five times a day small meals and every meal must have a portion of protien and vegetables. please tell me i dont have to eat five times a day and that this is another meth cause i dont know where i gonna find the time to eat five times a day however small the portion.

And please can you write something on deodorant, i was told it is harmful to use. Is this true and if it is why is it harmful and what will one use as an alternative?

Thanks.

I always get asked this question about oils, so you’re going to get a good answer.

Olive oil is a very good cooking oil, even for frying. Though, I am not an advocate of frying nor do I promote or recommend it. I myself cook all my foods in olive oil, though I do not consume deep fried foods.

When frying with oils (i.e. at a very high temperature), some are quite volatile and subject to hydrogenation – the actual structure of the bonds in the oil change (e.g. sunflower oil), this hyrdogenation results in the creation of trans fatty acids which are very hazardous to ones health (so hazardous, that the FDA do not even recommend a minimum amount to consume, they say just stay away from it).

Olive oil (aka pomace oil) is high in monounsaturated oils and therefore more resistant to hydrogenation than other oils. Studies have shown oxidation and hydrogenation occurs to a lesser degree in olive oil than in other oils. But in any case, the amount of hydrogenation is miniscule and no home cook would ever experience this problem, unless they were to constantly reuse and reheat the oil at very high temperatures.

If one really wants to deep fry food, then coconut oil is very resilient to hydrogenation and so is butter, though high in saturated fats.

My advice, avoid deep frying.

Hope that helps.

Amatullah, I was wondering if you could give me some input: what topics would you like to read about on this blog? (that question goes to all the readers)

Thanks.