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Question
30 Jun 2005
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Can you eat too much salad
I am tired of loosing the battle of the buldge with fad diets, pills, shakes and whatever else is the latest craze. I now only eat fish, chicken and salads and have red meat once a week with salad! I make my salad portions quite big and I was just wondering if you could actually eat too much salad and then it doesn't actually work. I only eat one kind of salad - tomatoe, lettuce, cucumber, a bit of cheddar cheese and then some trim mayo - is that ok?
DietDoc
Dear Fairylight
Salad vegetables such as lettuce, cucumber, tomato, sweet peppers, water cress and gherkins are all classified as 'free foods' because they have such a low energy content (they mainly consist of water). So you can eat large quantities of these free foods to fill you up and provide some extra nutrients such as vit C (tomato). I am just concerned that your diet will be unbalanced if you don't also include some additional milk and dairy products such as fat-free yoghurt and cottage cheese to ensure that you don't develop a calcium deficiency which can lead to osteoporosis. Do you also exclude all grains and cereals? if so, you may get very constipated and lack B vitamins. It is always better to use a balanced slimming diet to achieve the desired results. Click on 'Diet' at the top of this page, 'Weight loss' , ‘The right approach' and then on 'Slimming Diet' for a copy of a balanced, low-fat, high-fibre slimming diet, compare with what you are eating and make the necessary adjustments. Keep in mind that regular exercise of 30 min a day will also improve your weight loss.
Good luck
DietDoc
Salad vegetables such as lettuce, cucumber, tomato, sweet peppers, water cress and gherkins are all classified as 'free foods' because they have such a low energy content (they mainly consist of water). So you can eat large quantities of these free foods to fill you up and provide some extra nutrients such as vit C (tomato). I am just concerned that your diet will be unbalanced if you don't also include some additional milk and dairy products such as fat-free yoghurt and cottage cheese to ensure that you don't develop a calcium deficiency which can lead to osteoporosis. Do you also exclude all grains and cereals? if so, you may get very constipated and lack B vitamins. It is always better to use a balanced slimming diet to achieve the desired results. Click on 'Diet' at the top of this page, 'Weight loss' , ‘The right approach' and then on 'Slimming Diet' for a copy of a balanced, low-fat, high-fibre slimming diet, compare with what you are eating and make the necessary adjustments. Keep in mind that regular exercise of 30 min a day will also improve your weight loss.
Good luck
DietDoc
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