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Name
M.S
-
Profession
Question
Hi Dr Paul
I would like to know what is the difference between Organic and non Organic food , and which one is the best and why?
thanks
Answer
Hi
Organic food is food that has been grown or reared without the use of pesticides or artificial chemicals/products. In fruit and vegetables, this means they have been grown using natural methods of preventing disease or infection on land without the use of artifical fertilisers. In animals, it often means they have been reared as "free range" but have also not been subjected to intense farming methods, nor have they been fed anything which itself is not organic in origin (grass grain etc). There may be other things that the term organic means, but that is the limit of my knowledge at this time.
As to which is better, we have been eating foods that are non-organic for a long time. There is little evidence that this is harmful, but nevertheless some people are anxious about ingesting chemicals which wouldn't normally be present in the food. So it really comes down to personal preference. One thing that you may notice is that organic fruit and vegetables taste different. Again it is personal choice at to whether this difference is better or worse.
Organic produce is expensive as a lot of it is thrown away because either it did not survive and grow properly, or it has grown well but does not "look good".
There is a maximum amount of pesticides and other chemicals that are allowed in oragnic produce. If you buy organic baby food, these maximum values are much much lower than those required for adults and are scrutinised much more carefully.
Personally, I buy some organic produce simply because I like the taste, rather than concerns over the chemicals.
I hope this answers some of your questions, in a balanced way. Basically, there is not a lot of evidence to support it one way or the other. The choice is yours.
Name
Mar
-
Profession
Question
Hi Dr paul Forgive me first my english is not very good but my question is could you please tell us about the best diet for children during the day?
thank you
Answer
Hello Mar
It is difficult if I do not know the age of the children. But for over 5 years old we would say regular eating. That includes a good breakfast (cereal or bread) fruit mid-morning and afternoon, a good lunch that contains rice or pasta or bread with some protein like cheese, fish or meat. And in the evening a similar meal. Make sure their intake of salt is not too high. They should also not be on low fat diets, as this can lead to weight loss at a time when they are growing. If they are drinking milk then it should be full fat.
The most important thing is to make sure they have plenty of starchy carbohydrate at every meal. Starchy carbohydrate is found in: cereal, bread, pasta, rice, potatoes and foods made from them. These foods give a good supply of energy to the child to help them through the day.
That's very basic advice, but a good place to start.
Name
Anonymous
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Profession
Prospective Medical Student
Question
Assalamualaikum, I really appreciate your efforts! Unfortunately, I think that I may have a problem with respect to purification that others seem to share. What is the medical definition of breaking wind? I feel that I am releasing minute quantities of gas very frequently and throughout the entirety of the day – is this normal? How can I prevent flatulence? Thank you
Answer
Hello
Flatulence is caused by gas created in your large intestine by bacteria. I won't go into the full scientific explanation of this, but it is normal part of human physiology. While we cannot stop this happening entirely, it is possible to exclude some foods which make wind more of a problem. These foods differ between individuals as it depends on the type and amount of bacteria you have in your gut.
Some people find taking a pro-biotic helps. These are those yoghurts that you may see such as Yakult, Actimel etc .. these change the type of bacteria in your gut to something more "friendly". For some people this can make wind better, but for others it can make it worse!
There are also some foods that contain a certain type of sugar that we cannot digest. This sugar makes it through the stomach and into your lower gut where the bacteria are able to break it down, producing gas as they do. I do not know the full list of foods that contain these sugars, but they tend to come from the bean family (baked beans, kidney beans etc) and also in some vegetables like Sprouts, Cabbage and some onions. Drinking plenty of fluids, and eating a regular amount of fibre too may help reduce the problem.
Even following the most strict diet, it is likely that your gut will produce some gas. This is an essential part of remaining healthy. Hopefully, there is some advice above for you to try and see if this helps you in some way.
Name
sara
-
Profession
Question
Hi
my question is little bit strange
my children are eating a lot of fruits and veg during the day beside their own three meals and all the food are organic. is this good for them or not?
Answer
HI Sara
If your children are eating 3 healthy meals a day with fruit and veg between then this is good, yes. The fact that they are organic is less important. The research is still limited on whether organic is "better" for us. However, giving your children foods which do not contain pesticides or other chemicals cannot be doing them any harm, so carry on I say. Well done.
Name
Barbria
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Profession
Question
Hi Dr Paul,
could you please tell us if the fast food are good or not specially for the children and if is not good could you please let us know what the problem with it? many thanks
Answer
Hi Barbria
Fast food can mean lots of different things. When we talk about "healthy eating" we do include foods that would normally be called "fast foods". Fast foods tend to be high in sugar or fat or salt or all of them. If they are eaten once a week, or on special occasions then this is not usually a problem, it is when children are eating them every day that it needs attention.
Because fast foods contain sugar and fat, this can lead to children putting on weight, which is not healthy for them. This is made worse by a lot of children not doing as much exercise as they used to in the past. High intakes of salt are also not advised for children.
So the message is, it is OK to have fast food, or junk food as it is sometimes called "occasionally". But not all the time.
I hope this is in someway helpful.
Name
suha
-
Profession
Question
Dear Sir,
I feel very depressed most of the time.I always keep thinking about my future and i feel that i will have a very bad future,if i commit any misdeeds .I dont feel like having food sometimes.Due to this i have become very weak. Please advise.
Thank you.
Answer
Dear Suha
Thank you for your question. Sometimes we do spend too much time thinking about our future and not enough time about the present. When we think negative things about the future, sometimes, even when we don't intend to, we make them happen, thus reinforcing our belief that the future will not be good.
The other factor in all of this is your eating. When we do not eat enough it lowers our mood, and makes it more difficult for us to think clearly. In this way it too can reinfornce negative beliefs about self and the future. The third thing is that when we feel depresesed, we don't want to eat very much and so the circle goes on, sometimes getting worse and worse.
What you need to do now Suha is try and eat a little bit more. This will start to raise your mood a little bit and help you think about things more clearly. It will also help you feel less weak.
Just say to yourself that you will make one small change each day. Try and pick foods which are starchy like rice or foods made from flour. Try and take each day as it comes, and deal with the next when you wake up in the morning. Concentrate on getting your mind and body better which will help you have a more positive outlook on your future.
I am not saying that food will solve all your problems, but it may very well give you the fuel you need to start solving some of your difficult thoughts yourself.
I wish you well.
Name
Raheema
-
Profession
Question
Salam, Dr. Wilkinson. Thank you for this opportunity to speak with you today.
I have a 9 year old daughter who has already started worrying about her weight. The problem is that so many people in our family discuss dieting and calories in front of the children that they have begun at such a young age to believe that that is important. All of my children are healthy, normal children. But my 9 year old has not been eating well lately. She refuses to eat most meats, and hardly ever completes her meals. I'm worried that she might grow up to be an anorexic. How can I force her to eat a complete healthy meal? Should I be concerned to begin with, or am I blowing this out of proportion? I want my children not to worry about weight as long as they don't need to. I want them to eat healthy food, to pig out every once in awhile like any normal child does, and just live their lives normally. What should I do?
Thank you.
Answer
Hi Raheema
It sounds like you are worried about your daughter. It is unusual for children as young as 9 to develop anorexia, but it is more common for them to use food as a means of gaining control. Every child is different of course, but if she is "in the middle age wise" or is "the only girl" or has some other quality which makes her feel different, sometimes children will use food to communicate stress or anxiety because at that age they do not know how to articulate this verbally.
I think one thing that is important is that you asked "How do I force her ..." and the last thing you want to do with a 9 year old is get into a battle of wills, especially over something that, unless you physcially force the food inside her, she will always win. She may have something called FAED, Food Avoidance Emotional Disorder, or more simply she could just be a fussy eater!
Without talking to your daughter it is difficult for me to advise you any further. I would consider asking your doctor or nurse if they could weigh her and see where she is on the growth and weight centile chart. If she is under weight, they would then be able to refer you to a dietitian locally if you expressed your concerns as you have here.
Meanwhile, try talking to her and asking her why she finds it so hard to finish all her meals. Ask her if something is worrying her, or what she thinks might happen if she eats it all. Tell her you are worried about her, and ask her if there is anything you can do to help her feel less anxious about her meals. If you can do this, do it at a time when it is just the 2 of you, away from the distraction of the other children, and not during a mealtime.
I'm sorry I can't give you any more advice than that at this time. But rest assured, if you came to me in clinic and we were able to sit down and talk with you and your daughter we would be able to find ways of helping you both. This should be no different wherever you live.
I hope this has been in someway helpful.
Name
Minnah
-
Profession
Question
Dear Doc,
I have four children, the eldest being 11 and the youngest is 7. I used to be very thin, but since I've had the children I've put on some weight. I am 168 cm tall and my weight is now 69 kg. I've noticed that during the winter time I eat much more than I do in the summer, and put on more weight. I usually lose the extra weight in the summer, and reach something along the lines of 65 kg. Should I be worrying about my weight?
Answer
Hi Minnah
Your weight is fine. At 69kg you are still within the normal weight for your height as you are at 65kg too. Everyone tends to eat more during the winter, it's probably an evolutionary thing as with colder weather we need more fuel to keep warm, but that the short days lower our mood and make us think about food more.
So, don't worry 65-69kg is fine if you are 1.68m
Name
Abu Saida
- United Kingdom
Profession
Question
Thank you for your effort and time. My question is my 3 and 5 year olds don't like to eat at all. My wife is finding it very difficult when it comes to feeding times. All they want is just drink and have cereals. We have tried different foods ie marshed, rice, meat,vegetables and so on but no success. please could you advice thanks.
Answer
Hello
Yes, children of that age can be very frustrating. Some simple advice is to try and all sit down and have your meals together. Often this makes children curious as to what you are eating and they may begin to want to try your food.
It is important to determine whether their health is suffering from the poor intake of these other foods, or if infact they are doing OK. I would advise taking them along to your local GP or nurse and have them check their weight and height to make sure they are not falling behind.
If they are OK, then it's about trying to make meals more fun and more relaxed. Giving them food to play with, letting them make a mess, exploring it with their hands. If they are still drinking a lot of milk, you could consider reducing this slightly to make them fell more hungry. A classic problem with this age group is drinking too much liquid and feeling full during the day. Limit their drinks to meal times only, with one at the end of the day after their last meal. If they are drinking juices, it may be worth diluting these down more, or trying water instead as these too give calories which can reduce appetite.
If the GP or nurse feel that their weights are low, they should refer you onto a pediatric dietician who would be able to give you more comprehensive advice after a proper assessment has been made.
