Healthy living tips from Kcal nutritionist

Kcal nutritionist Dona Maria Mesmar talks about what makes up a healthy diet during a Healthy Living Workshop at Abu Dhabi Media. Evelyn Lau / The National

To celebrate The National's healthy-living campaign, nutritionist Dona Maria Mesmar, from Kcal healthy fast food in Dubai, led a workshop for staff at Abu Dhabi Media, publisher of the newspaper.

The event focused on nutrition and healthy living, as Mesmar warned that researchers had found that unless action is taken to reverse the trend, half of the country’s population will be obese in 15 years.

There are ways to prevent that from happening, she said, but habits need to change sooner rather than later. Here are some of the key points from the workshop.

Three reasons why people don’t diet

• They are too busy

• They enjoy and have become used to the taste of unhealthy food

• They don’t know what’s in the food they eat

Dangers of sugar

• Sugar releases serotonin and dopamine which raise energy but only for a short time before the “sugar crash”

• Four grams of sugar is equivalent to 1 teaspoon

• Food companies can be misleading. Even if something says “fat-free” or “natural,” the bland taste is often masked by adding extra sugar

Steps to healthy living

• Drink enough water during the day (at least two litres)

• Eat in moderation

• Space out your meals (don’t skip any), leaving at 2-3 hours in between

• Breakfast is important – it gives you enough energy and improves memory – so don’t skip it

• Read nutrition labels