FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Question: Are all fats bad?
Answer: Not all fats are bad, while certain types of fats like saturated and trans fats (which are referred to as bad fat) can increase the risk of heart disease or stroke. There are healthy fats like polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat which helps to reduce such risk. Some foods like olive oil, nuts and seeds, avocados (monounsaturated fat) fish, sunflower and other plant oil, walnuts and flaxseeds (polyunsaturated) contain healthy fat that are good for us.
Question: Do I have to skip my meals to boost my metabolism?
Answer: It is very important not to skip meals and eat at least 3 meals per day to get the nutrients the body needs. Exercise is still the best way to boost metabolism.
Question: What is the difference between calories and kilocalories?
Answer: The "calorie" referred to in food is actually kilocalorie. They are both units of energy that measure the amount of energy in food or burned by exercise. One (1) kilocalorie is equal to 1000 Calories. In nutrition, they are used interchangeably and do not need to be converted.
Question: What are the importance of cholesterol in the body?
Answer: Cholesterol is produced by the liver and also made by most cells in the body. It is carried around in the blood by lipoproteins. Little amount of blood cholesterol is needed because the body uses it to;
- Build the structure of cell membranes
- Make hormones like estrogen, testosterone and adrenal hormones
- Helps the metabolism work efficiently for e.g it is essential for the body to produce vitamin D
- Produces bile acids, which helps the body digest fat and absorb important nutrients