Posted by kathryn in Q & A Thursday

As I’m away for Q & A Thursday this week, I thought I’d post a summary of the topics covered so far. Q & A Thursday has been going since the end of May and in that three and a bit months, I think you’ll agree we’ve covered a lot of ground.

Rather than just listing the topics in date order, I’ve tried to organise them into categories. Note, I’ve included a couple of posts in more than one category, where relevant.

Food labelling

• What’s difference between lite and light yoghurts and what does this labelling mean?
• Are there any concerns about best before dates on foodstuffs
• Why does the phrase may contain traces of appear on so many different foods?
• Nutrition information panel basics

Food safety

• Should you avoid tinned tuna because of mercury concerns?
• Are there any concerns about best before dates on foodstuffs
• Can you reheat lasagne?
• Can you refreeze thawed food?

How to eat a balanced diet

• What should your dinner plate look like?
• What to eat if your cutting back on grains?
• Should you eat breakfast before or after exercising?
• Should you eat more carbs in winter?
• Is it better to eat fruit seperately from other foods?
• How to get enough calcium when you don’t drink milk
• Is fruit really important to a healthy diet?
• Are tomatoes part of your fruit or vegetable intake?
• Yes, I have been over-simpifying the fruit and vegetable issue
• How I make it easy to eat well
• Should you worry about which foods contain the most antioxidants?

The vegetarian diet

• How do vegetarians know they’re getting enough iron?
• How do vegetarians ensure they’re getting enough protein?
• What are the vegetarian sources of protein?
• What vegetarian foods contain Omega 3s?
• Carbohydrates, vegetarians and muscles

Carbohydrate foods

• Should you avoid eating rice?
• In the food pyramid, are potatoes a vegetable or a starch?
• Is white rice as bad as sugar?
• The GI value of different types of rice
• The nutritional value of white rice vs brown rice
• The nutritional value and GIs of other grains and legumes
• What happens if you live on pasta?
• Are lentils and rice a particularly nutritious food combination?
• Is banana bread healthy?
• What actually is gluten?
• Should you eat different types of pasta?
• How to deal with a carb addiction in 5 steps
• Which is the healthiest bread
• Why does yoghurt have a low GI?

Protein

• Carbohydrates, vegetarians and muscles
• How do vegetarians ensure they’re getting enough protein?
• What are the vegetarian sources of protein?
• How do you gain muscle mass?

Sugar & sweeteners

• Is white rice as bad as sugar?
• Is fructose a healthier alternative to sugar?
• What’s the truth about artificial sweeteners?
• What’s the healthiest chocolate?
• Alternative sweeteners to sugar and honey?

Fats

• Is coconut oil healthy or harmful?
• Which margarines are lowest in trans fats?

Dairy foods

• Nutritionally, which are the best eggs?
• Is cow’s milk nutritionally beneficial?
• Does cheese have any nutritional value?
• How to get enough calcium when you don’t drink milk
• Is there a nutritional difference between UHT and normal milk?
• Is rice milk healthy?
• Why does yoghurt have a low GI?

Is soy healthy?

• How much soy is too much and does soy contribute to hormonal cancers?
• Can soy be part of a healthy diet?
• Can soy affect a woman’s fertility?

Nutritional value of specific foods

• Which are the best nuts to eat?
• The glories of beetroot
• Is coconut oil healthy or harmful?
• Does cheese have any nutritional value?
• What’s the healthiest chocolate?
• Is pomegranate juices as good as the fresh fruit?
• How to get enough calcium when you don’t drink milk
• Do you know anything about sugar beet flakes?
• Are there any nutrients in lentil skins?
• Can you eat too much dried fruit?
• Should you worry about which foods contain the most antioxidants?
• Is rice milk healthy?
• Which is the healthiest bread?

Pregnancy & lactation

• What should you eat during pregnancy?
• How do vegetarians ensure they’re getting enough protein?
• Should you avoid tinned tuna because of mercury concerns?

Weight loss and gain

• How do you gain muscle mass?
• If you’re trying to lose weight, should you avoid carbs at dinner?
• Do low carb beers help with weight loss?
• The many factors that contribute to obesity
• Will one hot chocolate ruin your diet?
• How to deal with a carb addiction in 5 steps

Specific health issues

• Does seaweed counter-balance the effects of radiation?
• Does soy contribute to hormonal cancers?
• 7 ways to reduce PMS naturally
• How to minimise hayfever in Spring
• What is health?
• Do vegetables prevent cancer?
• Should you use probiotic supplements after taking antibiotics
• Should you detox to get more energy?
• What to do if your hair starts falling out?
• Avoiding soy sauce when you have thyroid problems

Health profession

• The difference between dieticians and nutritionists?

Nutrient absorption

• Does coffee affect your absorption of nutrients?
• Does drinking water during a meal affect your ability to absorb nutrients?
• Do fruit and vegetables lose nutrients once they’ve been cut?
• How quickly does fruit and veg lose its goodness?

Cooking & storage

• Why does fried food taste differently from food cooked in other ways?
• What’s the best chopping board surface?
• Can you reheat lasagne?
• Can you re-freeze thawed food?
• Is there an easy way to convert dry weights into cooked weights?
• What is shoyu?
• How quickly does fruit and veg lose its goodness?

Supplements

• Do you need to take a green food supplement?
• Should you use probiotic supplements after taking antibiotics
• Does algae oil contain Omega 3s?

Fibre

• Which foods are high in soluble fibre?

Water

• Does drinking water during a meal affect your ability to absorb nutrients?
• Can you drink too much water?

What is Q & A Thursday?

This post is part of Q & A Thursday – a regular burst of blogging, where you get to dictate the subject matter. Q & A Thursday is all about simple, practical answers to food and diet dilemmas sent in by readers.

If you have a question you’d like answered, then send me an email.

06 September, 2007