Three Things You May Not Know About Nutrition

We all eat food every day, and we all have a vague idea that there are right and wrong ways to go about it. Here to try and make it all a little clearer is Beijing United Family Hospital's (BJU) Nutrition Consultant, Jackie Gao. In this post, she shares three things she wishes people knew about healthy eating.

1. Balance is key

Healthy eating is not about strict dietary limitations, staying unrealistically thin, or depriving yourself of the foods you love. Rather, it's about enjoying the food you love, feeling great, having more energy, and improving your health. As a matter of fact, Dietitians do eat chocolates and cakes! I love baking and eating chocolates at times, but I'm also able to choose healthier options and keep my diet balanced, which is the key.

2. Keep it simple

Eating a healthy diet doesn't have to be overly complicated. While certain foods have been shown to have a beneficial effect, there is no right or wrong food to eat. Rather, it's your overall dietary pattern that's more important. You don't need to eliminate certain categories of foods from your diet, but rather select healthier options within each category.

3. Think twice about what you read online

Certain foods and diets may be marketed as superior to others but, if you look closely (or chat to a dietitian!), you'll find out it may not be the best. For example, there's a big hype about the ketogenic diet and its effect on weight loss. As a matter of fact, a ketogenic diet is not suitable for everyone and, if done without medical or dietitian's supervision, you may do more harm to your body than just quick weight loss (which is not sustainable) due to the side effects of ketosis, particularly if it is done to an extreme.

Often, the hype comes from small scale studies that are either low in quality or is not representative of the whole population. However, people get the messages very quickly, and I guess that's where the misconceptions come from. It's my role as a Nutrition Consultant to correct those misunderstandings because of other evidence around it. It's hard for people in the community to look critically at the clinical trials but, whenever there is a claim like that, be smart and if you have doubts, ask a dietitian. 

Clinical nutrition uses evidence-based practices. We practice based on clinical evidence and follow clinical practice guidelines. We critically evaluate a person's medical, social, and physical situations and provide personalized advice to achieve the nutrition goals towards living a healthier life. 

Join Jackie this upcoming Wednesday, April 29th at 6:30 PM as she leads a fun and interactive online cooking class for the community! She will be walking us through the steps to make a healthy Chinese-style stir fry, while providing some advice on best practices to maintain a healthy diet. Send a picture of your completed meal for a chance to win BJU vouchers and gift cards to Hulu and Comptoirs de France. To register, scan the QR in the poster below or enter the Zoom code:  981-0275-6490. We look forward to cooking with you!

Jackie Gao is a Chinese-born, Australian-trained dietitian and nutritionist. To make an appointment with a Dietitian, please call our service center at 4008-919191.

• Want to read more about ketogenic diet? Click here. 

• Wondering if you can still eat meat during the outbreak? Jackie tells you more in this article.