SHORTCUTS
Our dietitian answers your questions
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 Is it true that chocolate milk is less fattening than milk?
- Dominique Tremblay , Saint-Léonard |
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Chocolate milk is in fact regular milk to which cacao or chocolate and sugar have been added. In equal amounts, chocolate milk therefore contains more calories than regular milk since it contains more sugar. Between a soda and chocolate milk however, the latter is the better choice since it contains proteins, calcium and other beneficial nutrients. For hydrating purposes however, water remains your best bet. |
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Can you provide me with meal and snack suggestions that can help me avoid gaining weight?
- Sabrina, St-Jérome |
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A good start to compose a balanced meal is to include at least one food from each of the four food groups of Canada's Food Guide for lunch and supper and one food from 3 of the 4 groups for breakfast. Over the course of the day, the emphasis is on vegetables and fruit, and whole grain cereal products.
Example for one day:
It’s also advantageous to add to your menu nutritious snacks that will prevent cravings. To avoid gaining weight, aside from a balanced menu, it is recommended to be more active and eat only when you are really hungry. |
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Can I lose weight if I skip one meal a day?
- Roxanne, Sainte-Foy |
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Skipping a meal isn’t a really good way to lose weight, in fact, it’s quite the contrary. People who don’t eat three meals a day are more prone to snack between meals and have cravings. Your body reacts and cries famine, which then has you eating everything in sight. Unfortunately, you often fall back on high-calorie, less nutritious foods such as cookies, chips or chocolate. And if you manage to resist temptation, you’re starving come mealtime and tend to overeat. Which means that at the end of the day, you’ve consumed more calories. Plus, with irregular meals, your energy level can fluctuate wildly. |
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I would like to know if Zyban can make you lose weight.
- Denise Fortin, Saint-Lin |
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Bupropion (Zyban) doesn’t make you lose weight. It is meant to help smokers quit tobacco and is not a weight loss medication. Some studies have shown, however, that people who stop smoking with the help of this medication gain a bit less weight than those who quit without help. The same results have been noted with nicotine patches (Nicoderm, for example). You shouldn’t choose a smoking cessation method with the idea of gaining as little weight as possible. You should first discuss it with your physician or pharmacist in order to identify the method that is right for you. The only way to limit weight gain is to eat well and be more active. |
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Can it be useful to do the Montignac diet when you quit smoking?
- Michèle, Montréal |
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When you want to lose weight or prevent weight gain, it’s tempting to turn to “miracle” diets. Unfortunately, miracles don’t exist. If you are interested in a given diet, make sure it meets the criteria set by the Association pour la Santé Publique du Québec. [+] To learn more » »
As for the Montignac diet, people lose weight on it because they consume fewer calories than they did previously. It has nothing to do with food combinations but rather with a decrease in the number of calories consumed. You eat less cheese when you eat it without bread, and far less bread when you eat it without butter or margarine. The Montignac diet affords a better control of appetite because it is higher in fibre than the average diet. There is no need to follow the Montignac diet to increase fibre in our diet (see section: Curbing your appetite). Results are more efficient in the long term if you follow the Canada's Food Guide that contains more fibre and less fat. You may not lose the weight as fast but chances are you won’t gain it back. And the habits you develop are likely to stick for a lifetime. |
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In order to avoid gaining too much weight, I eat sunflower seeds in the shell. Is it a good idea?
- Johanne Bergeron, St-Noël |
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Eating sunflower seeds in the shell is a good way to reduce the urge to smoke because, like the cigarette, it keeps your hands – and your mouth – busy. It’s not the best trick when it comes to weight control, however. As with all other nuts and seeds, every sunflower seed contains 50 % fat. Although these are considered “good fats”, nuts and seeds are still high in calories. You’re better off combining them to another food: almonds on cereal, walnuts in a salad, peanuts in a mix of cereal and dried fruit. It’s alright if you eat small quantities of nuts and seeds: it’s another matter if you empty the bag. There are 300 calories per 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds in the shell. It’s better to switch to low-calorie snacks such as plain popcorn, rice cakes and raw veggies. |
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Which vegetables can be eaten without weight gain?
- Danielle Côté, Jonquière |
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From eggplant to zucchini and celery to tomatoes, practically all vegetables are low-calorie, as long as you don’t smother them with fat (and calories) from dressings, butter, margarine, oil, sour cream and company! Even higher-calorie vegetables such as potatoes or corn have nowhere near the amount of calories found in a bag of chips or pastry. And vegetables are a treasure trove of vitamins and fibre. All you can eat? I would rather say that priority should be given to vegetables in our menu and that you should eat them until you are full. When you are no longer hungry, no food is recommended, not even vegetables. If you’re eating to compensate for the urge to smoke, it’s better to choose tricks that won’t have such an impact on your figure, such as sucking on a cinnamon stick, chewing sugar-free gum or drinking water or herb tea. |
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I stopped smoking three weeks ago and find I have problems with my bowel movements.
- Janie, Gatineau |
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When you stop smoking, it’s possible to experience constipation and to feel bloated. These are symptoms of withdrawal. A decrease in the frequency of bowel movement is not necessarily a sign of constipation. Normally, it can vary between three times a day to three times a week, depending on the person. To prevent or resolve these problems, there are three golden rules:
- Eat more fibre: add fibre-rich foods to your menu, such as whole grain cereal products, vegetables, fruit and dried fruit or legumes (chick peas, lentils, red kidney beans) that can be eaten in salads, soups or spreads. Increasing your fibre intake may lead to gas and bloating. In order to avoid this, it’s preferable to introduce these new foods gradually. You can also buy at your pharmacy pills or drops of alpha-galactosidase enzyme sold under the name Beano® that help reduce gas. - Drink more liquid: when you increase your fibre intake, it’s very important to also increase the amount of liquid you drink. Fibre work well with water because it acts like little sponges that absorb liquid. Your stools will be softer. We should all drink about 2 litres of liquid a day, preferably water. The best argument for water: it contains 0 calories. - Exercise and work on your abdominals: physical activity and strong abs help avoid constipation. Walking is a very good exercise. If constipation persists, eat 1/2 cup (125 ml) of All Bran® or Bran Buds® cereal with milk (everyday or every other day), with a big glass of water before going to bed. If that doesn’t resolve the situation, ask your pharmacist to suggest a mild laxative. Prunes and prune juice also contain a natural laxative that can help. You shouldn’t use laxatives, even natural ones, for prolonged periods. When withdrawal symptoms recede, constipation should disappear. |
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I already have 15 pounds to lose. Should I postpone my decision to stop smoking?
- Diane Chouinard , Laval |
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You should definitely not postpone your decision. Yes, the risk of gaining a few more pounds is real and should you gain some weight, you shouldn’t feel guilty because your victory over tobacco is far more important! You should never think of cigarettes as a way to lose weight or to avoid gaining weight. Who would want a diet product containing 7,300 toxic substances, over 60 of which are carcinogenic?
It’s not easy trying to change everything all at once. Often, however, one good habit leads to another. You could think, “If I’m going to stop smoking, I might as well become a bit more active”. Also, physical activity lessens withdrawal symptoms, enhances sleep, gives a sense of well-being and increases the metabolism, which in turn burns more calories. Other good strategies are to limit your servings and opt for nutritious food with fewer calories. |
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I’ve been training regularly for over two years. Is it possible that muscles weigh more and that I therefore can’t see a difference on the scale?
- Marie-Pascale, Montréal |
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The scale isn’t always a good indicator of fat loss. Muscles weigh more than fat. So if you exercise and build muscle, it’s possible that the number on the scale is somewhat discouraging.
A more efficient way of measuring weight loss is to measure your waist with a tape measure. Come to think of it, your clothes are also a good indicator: when you can slip into a pair of pants you hadn’t worn in a few years, that’s a good indication that your figure is improving. |
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Is it true that smoking can lower the metabolism by 20%?
- Célyne Bluteau, Quebec City |
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Basal metabolism is the number of calories needed for vital functions: heartbeat, breathing, maintaining body temperature. It’s the energy you spend when you are simply lying down without moving. By adding to this the energy needed to work, move, speak, smile, you get the total energy expended in a day.
Nicotine stimulates the body and increases the basal metabolic rate by 5% to 10%. When you stop smoking, it returns to normal. In general, a female smoker has a basal metabolic rate of about 1,350 to 1,600 calories per day. Her total caloric output is about 2,200 to 2,450 calories per day. If this woman were to quit smoking, her daily energy needs would decrease by 135 to 160 calories per day (10% of basal metabolism). If she continues eating as before, she could gain about 15 pounds in a year. To avoid this weight gain, she would have to decrease her intake by 135 to 160 calories per day and at the same time burn off the same number of calories. Some examples of foods containing about 150 calories: 1 can soft drink (355 ml) You can also increase the energy you spend by getting more active. Some examples of activities that consume about 150 calories: 15 minutes of high-impact aerobics Good news: physical activity is doubly effective! In addition to burning energy immediately, the metabolism remains revved up for an hour after intense physical activity. Just choose your strategy for outsmarting your metabolism! |
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Would it worth doing a detox cure to “de-grease my system“ at the same time as I quit smoking?
- Louise Grégoire, Trois-Rivières Ouest |
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Unfortunately, there is no effective detox cure for “de-greasing the system,” nor is there any substance or food that melts fat. It’s true that the drugstores and health food stores sell a wide variety of products that can produce temporary weight loss. Generally, this loss is due more to the diuretic effect of these products than to their ability to dissolve fats. In fact, these treatments often increase urination. This way, you lose a few kilos of water. A litre of water weighs one kilo. Once you’ve finished the treatment, you’ll quickly gain back any weight you lost.
The only way to limit weight gain when you quit smoking is to eat well and be active. For more information, check out Eat Well with Fewer Calories and Be Active Every Day pages of the Web site. |
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I was wondering if there is any danger to the kidneys or other organs if I drink three to four litres of water per day?
- Annick, Quebec City |
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Drinking more water is a great way to control cravings for cigarettes and for food. We are often told we should be drinking at least two litres of water every day, but we rarely hear if there is an upper limit on the amount of water we should drink.
Since you have greatly increased your water intake, it’s normal to wonder about risks and how much you can drink without harming your health. Normally, a healthy person shouldn’t worry too much about how much water they drink. The kidneys have no problem eliminating the surplus. However, by eliminating more water, they also eliminate small amounts of minerals such as sodium and potassium. An imbalance in these minerals in the bloodstream could be harmful. But you really need to drink huge amounts of water for that to happen. Your current consumption should not pose any problems. |
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Why do people tend to gain weight when they quit smoking? |
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Nicotine artificially turns up the body’s metabolism (the number of calories the body uses) and is also an appetite suppressant. When you stop smoking, your metabolism returns to normal (you burn fewer calories) and if you continue eating the same amount of calories before, you could gain weight. You’ll also eat more because you feel hungrier and food tastes and smells better, and you don’t know what to do with your hands.
The solution is prevention. Change your habits a bit BEFORE you quit smoking: get more exercise and eat less and choose healthier foods. Even if you gain a bit of weight, whatever you do, don’t take up smoking again. Focus on your victory over smoking and tell yourself that by maintaining your good habits you’ll lose the weight in a few months. You’ll kick your smoking habit and be in better shape! |
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