The BDA’s annual Dietitians Week (1^st-5^th June this year) is usually a combination of public events and online activity. Last week, however, was marked online, due to our social distancing rules. Was it still an exciting and meaningful awareness campaign? Well, there was certainly a lot of virtual noise, says our very own Dietitian’s Life columnist Louise Robertson. 

Is it possible that eating a chlorophyll-rich diet can give us energy when we are exposed to the sun? Jelena Vidic,  ANutr,  takes a look at current research.

Working in food innovation requires endless searches for current trends and scientific findings. During my recent CPD lockdown session I have encountered an interesting paper about the benefit of consuming a chlorophyll-rich food that activates when we are exposed to the sun. Very intriguing! Since the summer is approaching and we all can’t wait to go out and enjoy the sunshine, let’s explore if we can find another excuse for lazing around in the sun other than for vitamin D synthesis…

NSPKU Society Dietitian and NHD regular contributor, Suzanne Ford, explores how PKU patients might be coping in the confines of lockdown.

During the Covid pandemic, metabolic specialist dietitians have maintained regular, remote, contact with patients via emails, phone and sometimes through videos. In different ways, the resources at patients’ disposal may have changed – sporadic food access in supermarkets and difficulties in primary care getting prescription foods. But perhaps PKU patients have more time available for aquiring those much-needed skills to maintain their strict and complicated diet.

As many of us are following the Government’s advice to stay at home, keeping our energy levels up becomes increasingly difficult as the weeks go by. NHD Blogger and third-year Nutrition student, Weronika Waraksa, considers how to boost the immune system and improve energy with nutrition.

Last week, the UK Government instructed us that we must remain in lockdown for yet another three weeks due to Covid-19.¹ There is no doubt that a drastic change to our routines can completely throw us off kilter, so don’t feel guilty if you have been struggling. It’s completely normal!

Is sugar ‘Sweet Poison’? Should we avoid it at all costs? Rebecca Gasche RD takes a considered look in light of the fact that Easter, along with its accompanying sweet treats, is almost here! 

A quick google search of ‘sugar’ leads you to numerous articles, including ‘Sugar is killing us’, ‘Sugar linked to cancer’ and ‘Sweet Poison’.

We have seen a huge amount of stockpiling going on in recent weeks as the lockdown became reality, but there’s really no need, especially as a lot of us have a pretty well-stocked store cupboard already. Here, Tabitha Ward RD provides us with 10 top tips on how to get the most out of our cupboards and make what we’ve got already go that extra mile.

We all know that the recent panic buying in the supermarkets impacts on vulnerable people and key workers and has caused stress and anxiety in this unprecedented crisis. But, pandemic aside, are supermarkets generally bad for us? asks Beth Bradshaw.

Supermarkets - they are a store cupboard essential; the bread and butter to our everyday lives; the meat to our two veg...

Panic stock piling has seen the supermarket shelves running low on pasta and rice (as well as toilet rolls!), as Covid-19 threatens to swamp the country. But are starchy foods making their way back into our diets and becoming more popular in general, asks NHD Blogger Louise Edwards RD. 

A recent article in The Telegraph stated that, ‘bread, pasta and rice sales’ have increased for the first time in three years.

Pancake Day leads us into Lent and for Lent, many of us give up something in out diet, or even go on a restrictive diet for a few weeks. But how about following a non-diet approach instead, says Madi Myers ANutr. Let's be more intuitive about what we eat and when…

Photo by Luke Pennystan on Unsplash 

By Farihah Choudhury
Current MSc Nutrition for Global Health student

Farihah is a Master’s student interested in public health nutrition, particularly lifestyle disease including obesity as a product of changing food environments, food sustainability and food culture.

On my walk home in London, from Bloomsbury to Whitechapel, I traverse through Holborn, Farringdon, Barbican and City. The principal hubs for suits and commuters, looking for lunchtime meal deals or a quick pick-me-up between 8am and 6pm Monday to Friday, like clockwork.