Cut down on foods that are high in saturated fat such as biscuits, cakes, pastries, meat pies, sausages, hard cheese, cream, butter and foods containing coconut or palm oil. This is because eating too much saturated fat can raise cholesterol levels.

Choose foods that are rich in unsaturated fats instead, such as oily fish, avocados and sunflower, rapeseed and olive oils. Unsaturated fats can help to lower cholesterol.

Like saturated fats, trans fats can raise cholesterol levels. Trans fats are found in foods that contain hydrogenated fats, including some types of biscuits, cakes, fast food, pastry, margarine and spreads. 

And don’t forget that we should also reduce the total amount of fat we eat. So try microwaving, steaming, poaching, boiling or grilling, instead of roasting or frying; choose lean cuts of meat and go for low-fat varieties of dairy products and spreads.

You can eat plenty of starchy foods, such as bread, pasta and rice, as well as fruit and vegetables – aim for five portions of a variety of types every day.

Regular physical activity, such as brisk walking, swimming or cycling, can also help to improve your cholesterol levels.

I’ve heard that glucosamine sulphate is good for joints. Is this true? 

Glucosamine sulphate supplements are recommended by some GPs in the UK for people who have osteoarthritis, a condition that affects the joints. This is because there is some evidence that glucosamine sulphate can help reduce inflammation and pain, and help with joint movement.
This particular type of glucosamine is recommended because this is the kind that has been used in more than 90% of studies investigating the effect of glucosamine on osteoarthritis. Some people think that glucosamine sulphate can also help prevent osteoarthritis, but at the moment there isn’t reliable evidence to support this.

Some people believe that taking glucosamine sulphate supplements will help their joints when they’re exercising. But, even though there have been claims that glucosamine sulphate can help reduce the pain of injury, there is little evidence to support this for people who don’t have osteoarthritis.

If you’re taking part in a sport or another type of physical exercise, it’s a good idea to ask a qualified sports-training professional about how you can exercise in a safe way that will help prevent injury and soreness.

Are there specific health benefits from eating soya or taking phytoestrogen food supplements? 

Soya is a good source of protein and it’s fine for people to eat it as part of a healthy balanced diet. Soya also contains phytoestrogens. These are compounds, found naturally in some plants, which may mimic or block the action of the human hormone, oestrogen. But they have a much weaker effect in the body than oestrogen. Phytoestrogens can also be found in other plant foods, including linseed (also called flaxseed).
Some people have claimed that foods rich in phytoestrogens are particularly good for health and that eating these foods could prevent or improve conditions related to levels of hormones in the body, such as symptoms of the menopause, osteoporosis, heart disease, and breast and prostate cancer. Some fortified foods and supplements have been developed with high levels of phytoestrogens in them.

However, even though there has been extensive scientific research to find out whether phytoestrogens are good for our health, there is little decisive evidence to show that they are.

Menopause
Some people have suggested that phytoestrogens could be an alternative to hormone replacement therapy (HRT), to help women experiencing symptoms of the menopause such as hot flushes. However, the scientific studies that have been conducted so far have produced conflicting results and they don’t conclusively prove that phytoestrogens would be helpful in this way. 

Osteoporosis
Some studies suggest that phytoestrogens may have a positive effect on osteoporosis by maintaining bone density during the menopause. However, women would need to take high doses of phytoestrogens for a long time (for example, a year or more) to have even a small effect on bone density. Therefore, it isn’t likely that phytoestrogens can provide an effective treatment for osteoporosis.

Heart disease
Having high cholesterol increases the chances of developing coronary heart disease. There is convincing evidence that eating soya, as part of a healthy balanced diet that is low in fat, may help to lower cholesterol levels in the blood. However, the evidence suggests that this benefit from eating soya may be due to a number of components soya contains, not just phytoestrogens.

Cancer
Eating some soya products may help reduce the risk of breast and prostate cancer, but we don’t know the reasons for this. There isn’t conclusive evidence that phytoestrogens can prevent the development of these types of cancer.

My mother has recently been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. What should she be eating? 

People with Type 2 diabetes should follow general healthy eating advice. This means eating a balanced diet that is:

1- low in fat (particularly saturated fat)
2- low in sugar
3- low in salt

high in fruit and vegetables (at least five portions a day)

high in starchy carbohydrate foods, such as bread, chapatti, rice, pasta and yams
However, people with diabetes should avoid drinking large amounts of fruit juice, because the fruit sugar (fructose) can cause problems with blood sugar control. 

Generally, your mother should restrict the amount of sugary food (such as sweets or cakes) that she eats, because the body absorbs the sugars from these foods too quickly and this could interfere with her blood sugar control. It’s better to eat carbohydrates in a form that releases sugars more slowly, for example wholemeal bread.

If she is prone to low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia), she may sometimes need to eat foods to increase her blood sugar quickly. If possible, it’s better to eat something that will increase her blood sugar gradually, such as a slice of toast. Her GP or nurse practitioner can advise her on how to be prepared for hypoglycaemia and how to manage it.

The Food Standards Agency and Diabetes UK (formerly the British Diabetic Association) don’t recommend specially labelled ‘diabetic’ products. These foods aren’t necessarily healthier or more suitable for people with diabetes than other foods. And they tend to be more expensive than other products. 

Above all, it’s important for your mother to maintain a healthy weight, especially as she gets older.

Can a person with a nut allergy eat pine nuts? 

Pine nuts (sometimes called pine kernels) are not botanically classified as nuts, but there have been reports of some cases of allergy to pine nuts, particularly in individuals who have multiple nut allergies.
Bearing this in mind, it would seem a sensible precaution to avoid pine nuts if you know that you are allergic to other nuts. If you are concerned, you could discuss this with your GP.

My blood pressure is higher than it used to be due to stress at work. How can I change my diet to make a difference? 

Diet is only one of the factors that affect blood pressure. Keeping physically active and eating foods lower in fat can help to prevent weight gain, and might help to lower your blood pressure.
Sodium is also thought to contribute to raised blood pressure. The majority of sodium in our diets comes from salt either in food or added to it. Currently, most people in the UK eat about 9 g salt per day, but we should be having only about 6 g.

Here are a few ways you can reduce the amount of salt in your diet.

1- Reduce the amount of salt you add when cooking – if you do this gradually, you’ll be surprised how little you miss the salt,
    because your palate will adapt to the new salt levels.
2- Try cooking with herbs and spices instead of salt.
3- Taste your food at the table before adding extra salt.
4- Try to eat fewer processed foods (these contribute about three-quarters of our salt intake).
5- Look for low-salt varieties of products.
6- Check the nutrition panel on food labels for salt or sodium content.
 
These changes to your diet can help reduce blood pressure, but they can’t eliminate stress, which can cause raised blood pressure. As well as changing your diet, check if there is anything you can do at work, and in your leisure time, to reduce stress.

My husband has high cholesterol and we are trying to eat a healthier diet. Would it be healthy for my husband to eat nuts as a snack? 

Nuts are a good choice of snack because they are rich in a wide range of nutrients and high in fibre. They are also a good source of monounsaturated fat, which can help reduce blood cholesterol levels.
So it’s OK to eat nuts as a snack, as part of a healthy balanced diet. But remember, nuts are high in fat, so try not to eat too many. And your husband should avoid salted nuts because they are very high in salt, which can raise blood pressure. Like high cholesterol, having raised blood pressure increases the chance of developing heart disease.

Eating foods that are high in saturated fat can raise levels of cholesterol in the blood. So try to cut down on foods such as biscuits, cakes, pastries, meat pies, sausages, hard cheese, butter and foods containing coconut or palm oil.

Choose foods that are rich in unsaturated fats instead, such as oily fish, avocados and sunflower, rapeseed and olive oils. Nuts can be a good alternative to snacks high in saturated fat. And don’t forget that we should also try to reduce the total amount of fat we eat.

Variety is an important part of eating a healthy diet and this includes snacks as well. Some other healthy snacks you might like to try include fresh or dried fruit, low-fat yoghurt, raw vegetables, fruit loaf with low-fat spread and currant buns (without icing).

Is it true that eating certain foods can improve medical conditions? 

We often read in newspapers or on the Internet about how certain foods or diets can improve particular medical conditions.
There has been some research into the health benefits of individual foods, but in general we need to eat a variety of food types to make sure we’re getting the range of nutrients our bodies need. 

Most people should eat a balanced diet, which means one that is rich in starchy foods (such as bread, pasta and rice) and we should choose wholegrain varieties where possible. We should also be eating:

lots of fruit and vegetables (at least five portions a day)

moderate amounts of meat, fish or alternatives (such as eggs, beans and lentils)

moderate amounts of milk and dairy foods

small amounts of fatty foods or sugary foods or drinks
If you are experiencing health problems, consult your GP and always seek professional advice before making major changes to your diet. Avoid cutting out certain food groups or eating large amounts of any foods because this could have a negative effect on your health.

A lot of information is available about food, but you should try to make sure that any advice you take comes from a reliable source.

If you have a specific medical condition and want personalised advice, contact a State Registered Dietitian through your local hospital or GP surgery.

I'm 42 and my mum, who's in her 80s, has bad osteoarthritis. I've read about cod liver oil being good for this. Should I start taking it now to protect me when I get older? 

When someone has osteoarthritis, the smooth cartilage that takes the strain in a normal joint becomes rough, brittle and weak. To compensate, the bone beneath thickens and spreads out, forming knobbly outgrowths. This causes stiffness and pain.
This form of arthritis is most common in older people and is very rare in people under the age of 40. Women are more likely to suffer from it than men and people who are overweight or obese are more at risk from the disease, especially in their knees. Joints that have suffered injury are also more susceptible to osteoarthritis.

There has been research into the use of fish oil supplements in treating various forms of arthritis, although the focus is generally on rheumatoid arthritis as opposed to osteoarthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is caused by the body’s immune system attacking the joints and causing inflammation. 

Fats are involved in the inflammation and it is thought that those found in fish can affect this process and help reduce inflammation. Some studies testing this theory on people with rheumatoid arthritis have shown benefits, while other studies have shown no benefit at all. Research is still ongoing.

However, healthy eating guidelines recommend that we eat fish twice a week and one of these helpings should be oily fish, such as salmon, mackerel, or sardines. This may be beneficial for sufferers of rheumatoid arthritis, because the fats found in oily fish may have an anti-inflammatory effect.

For osteoarthritis, prevention is key. The best thing you can do is maintain a healthy weight through eating a varied and balanced diet and keeping physically active. Eat a diet that is rich in starchy foods, such as potatoes, rice, bread, and moderate amounts of meat and dairy products, with at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day. And don’t forget to include your two portions of fish.

Which foods are best for my little girl aged five with anaemia? She is not a great lover of meat. 

It’s important to make sure that your daughter gets a varied diet that includes iron, because iron is an essential component of haemoglobin, the red pigment found in blood. Haemoglobin carries oxygen from the lungs to the tissues and organs of the body. Two-thirds of the iron present in the body is found in haemoglobin; the remainder is stored in the liver, spleen and bone marrow. A small amount is also found in the muscle protein myoglobin.

Good non-meat sources of iron include wholegrain cereals and flours, leafy green vegetables such as spinach and watercress, pulses such as lentils, kidney beans and chick peas, some dried fruits (apricots and figs), and eggs.

If food does not provide sufficient iron to replace the body’s losses, the stores are gradually depleted and haemoglobin production is inhibited. This can lead to iron deficiency and can cause anaemia.

Dietary iron exists in two different forms: haem iron and non-haem iron. Haem iron, which is the form that exists in red meats and offal, is relatively well absorbed (20-30%). Non-haem iron is found in plant foods and is generally less well absorbed (1-10%), but absorption increases when the body’s stores are depleted and when needs are greatest, e.g. in growing children or pregnant women.

A breakfast cereal fortified with iron and a glass of orange juice is a good way to start the day. This is because iron absorption is increased in the presence of vitamin C.

If you give your daughter tea to drink you should think about doing this only between meals, rather than with food, because tannins in tea can inhibit iron absorption.