useful links

Further help: links

Answers to commonly asked questions, with useful links

Here are some questions I'm often asked, together with links to web sites with some answers. I'm not necessarily recommending all the products and services they sell and don't necessarily agree with all the info contained in them. I'm including these links because I've found interesting information on these sites.

Keep the Eating Less techniques in mind if you experience negative reactions to the nutritional advice and information.

How can I improve my self-esteem?: If you are interested in the material on self-esteem in my books, visit Dr Brandon's site at www.nathanielbranden.com. If you suspect that low self-esteem is an issue for you, there's no better place to start than here. If you do sign up for his online course, please send me a message telling me what you thought of it.
What's a portion of fruit and veg?: The Department of Health has a web site with some answers.
At www.dh.gov.uk look for the search this site box at the top of the home page. Key in 5 a day faq and the search will take you to a number of relevant pages.
How can I find the glycemic load of carbohydrates?: Here is a link to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, which I believe to be the most reliable source.
Go to www.ajcn.org and do a site search for: table of glycemic index and glycemic load. The first article is the one with the complete table, which you can download as a pdf file if you want. As for the table itself, the most helpful part is the last column; aim to limit your intake of foods with a glycemic load of 20 or more. If you type 'glycemic load' into a search engine you'll find lots of info and simplified tables, but there are often inconsistencies between them.
What is bodyfat percentage?: This US site sells various devices for checking health, such as heart rate monitors. It also has some good info on bodyfat percentage.
www.healthchecksystems.com/bodyfat.htm
What is stevia?: Stevia is made from the leaf of a herb, dried and crumbled into a white powder. It's by far the best alternative to sugar and artificial sweeteners. It's very sweet, a low-GL carb - and really good for you! Due to some bureaucratic madness, it's not available for sale in the UK, but widely sold and consumed all over Europe, the United States and Japan.
If you type 'stevia' into a search engine, you'll find many sites to order some by mail, either from Europe or the US. Or, you can stock up when you go abroad. The site I've found with the best info on this product is
www.stevia.net
Why is sugar bad for me?: A US site from the author of Lick the Sugar Habit, Nancy Appleton, PhD. The book has some dreadful reviews on amazon.com, but there's an impressive collection of research on the health hazards of sugar on this web site. Do keep in mind that most of these problems relate to higher rates of consumption. Sugar is okay if you eat very small amounts occasionally. If you eat quite a lot of sugar this would be a good site for you to know about.
www.nancyappleton.com
What's the best food for me to be eating?: One place to start is nutritionist Dr Marilyn Glenville's site, aimed especially at women's health.
www.marilynglenville.com
How does what I eat affect my mood?: Interesting site from the Food and Mood Project, set up by the mental health charity MIND.
www.foodandmood.org Check out the Mind Meal for recipes and read the Summary of Project Findings and Our Recommendations.
Do you have any good recipes?: If you've just discovered a food (such as quinoa or millet) that you don't know how to prepare, type in the main ingredient at
www.epicurious.com and you'll get recipes together with reviews.

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