Q: Are food diaries useful? Do you have any tips that would help me stick to writing a food diary every day?

Annabelle, 28, Oklahoma.

A. Food diary is your best and least expensive ally against obesity. Actually, keeping a food diary can double your weight loss. It seems that the simple act of writing down what you eat encourages you to eat less calories, binge on desserts and junk food, and cut down the portion size.

Scientists agree with me on that. According to a study from Kaiser Permanente’s Center for Health Research, funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health, those who kept daily food records lost twice as much weight as those who kept no records.

“The more food records people kept, the more weight they lost,” said lead author Jack Hollis Ph.D., a researcher at Kaiser Permanente’s Center for Health Research in Portland, Ore.  

“More than two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese. If we all lost just nine pounds, like the majority of people in this study did, our nation would see vast decreases in hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease and stroke,” said study co-author Victor Stevens, Ph.D., a Kaiser Permanente researcher.

For example, in an earlier study Stevens found that losing as little as five pounds can reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure by 20 percent.

This study shows that most people can lose weight if they have the right tools and support. Food journaling has been recommended as a weight loss tool since 2002, but it didn’t gain that much popularity.

Keeping a food diary doesn’t have to be a formal thing. Just the act of making a honest and complete list of what you eat has enormous power over your subconscious. You can also list what you eat on a Post-It note, send yourself e-mails or text messages with details of each meal, or simply add a note into your weekly planner. It’s the process of reflecting on what you eat that helps you become aware of your nutritional habits.

I find that buying a pretty, solid diary to keep track of my food choices is the best bet. With a small yet stylish diary, such as Moleskin, you are less likely to lie to yourself. As you get used to carefully and meticulously writing down your daily menus, you can make a step further and make suggestions to self on how to make your eating habits healthier.

Instead of a food diary, I keep a notebook where I jot down my weekly menus. This serves as a helpful shopping list that helps me stay within budget and avoid buying things that will be left rotting in the fridge. Each Sunday I make a list of lunch and dinner meals I will be cooking. It can be something as simple as grilled chicken breast or something more adventurous, perhaps one of the recipes from the diet book I am working on. I carefully list all breakfasts, snacks, soups and salads. Then I shop only for food items needed to cook these recipes. Simple and very budget-friendly, don’t you think? This way, my food diary serves more than one purpose.

This may be a major shocker: a low-fat diet does not reduce your cancer or heart disease risk.

Based on a national study of women conducted in the past 10 years  Women’s Health Initiative found that low-fat diet has no significant effect of a low-fat diet on breast or colorectal cancer rates, heart disease or stroke, according to a report in today’s Journal of the American Medical Association.

“The diet by itself, at least one that’s achievable by most people, is not as effective as we had hoped it would be in changing the total disease picture for women,” Dr. David Curb, principal investigator for Hawaii’s WHI studies, said in an interview.

The latest study also found that high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet did not increase body weight, triglycerides or blood glucose or insulin levels, signs of increased risk of diabetes.

Same time, low-fat diets targeted to women with specific issues, such as high LDL or “bad” cholesterol, are extremely beneficial.

Earlier studies suggest that women who reduced their total fat intake had a 9 percent lower risk of breast cancer than those who did not change their diet.

This doesn’t mean that you must run to the nearest deli and gorge on the fattest ham and cheese.  The healthiest group of women in the study ate more vegetables, fruits and grains along with high intake of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, containing in olive oil, nuts and seeds. The healthy diet must be low in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol.

Cutting trans fats and saturated fats is the easiest way to help your heart and lose weight. Being overweight means being unhealthy, and reducing fats and, consequently, calories, is the easiest way to control weight.

Also keep in mind that chronic diseases take a long time to develop – much longer than eight years covered by this or any other study.

Q: I think I am doing everything I should do on my Zone Diet, and still I am not losing weight. Any suggestions?

Kelly, 25, San Francisco, CA

A: The best way to overcome a plateau is to stop for moment and take a deep breath. The more you stress yourself out, the worse the outcome would be.

When you are losing weight at a very slow pace, you need to double-check every step of your dieting routine to find a hidden cause of the plateau.

To begin with, you must be very honest with yourself. Are you eating too much of a good thing? Are you drinking too much fruit juice, red wine, or eating too much salad with croutons and olive oil? Even bingeing on nuts can slow down your weight gain.

 Pay close attention to your snacks. One of the mistakes dieters do is choosing low calorie snacks with no added sugar. However, fruit and nuts contain natural sugar and loads of plant oils.

When you eat may also have an effect on the speed at which you lose weight. If you usually eat dinner after 7:00 p.m., you may find it difficult to lose weight because there is not enough time to digest the food before bedtime.   

You should be drinking at least sixty-four ounces of water daily. Low fluid intake can affect your weight loss. Coffee and alcohol drinks don’t count as water! In fact, they leach water from your body, so you need to follow up each coffee cup with two glasses of water. Soft drinks should be avoided as much as possible. Drink something hot in the morning to get the metabolism going at full speed – some hot water with a pinch of a lemon would be just great. Some people swear by water with a tablespoon apple cider vinegar.

Keep in mind that you cannot lose weight without exercise. Sometimes you hit a plateau when you decrease your level of activity. This will cause your metabolism to slow down and those slow your weight loss efforts. Find an activity that keeps you motivated.

If a plateau takes too much efforts to overcome, stop for a minute and think: maybe you have already reached your perfect weight? If that’s so, you won’t be able to shed pounds as quickly as in the beginning. Instead, start maintaining your healthy diet habits so they become your natural way of eating.

Q: I’ve read that fresh juices may be helpful in preventing and curing varicose veins. Is that true? Are there any juices that are more helpful than others?

Victoria S., 41, San Diego, CA

A: Varicose veins are swollen, protruding veins that may cause aches, fatigue, or a burning sensation. Varicose veins are more than a cosmetic disaster: they can cause cramps, swelling (edema), as well as other complications such as ulcers.

Fruit juices rich in natural vitamin C may help prevent varicose veins. Vitamin C works to preserve collagen, part of the tissue in the veins and valves. If your collagen remains intact, the tissues are likely to be more resistant a varicose condition.

Carrot and spinach juices, rich in iron, vitamin C, and vitamin A, are helpful at keeping your blood vessels at peak condition. The juice formula is a mix of 1 ¼ cup of carrot juice and 1 cup of spinach juice. Alternatively, eat your spinach salad at least three times a week.

All dark-colored berries like cherries, blueberries and blackberries contain antioxidants anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins. These antioxidants help tone and strengthen the walls of your blood vessels. Pineapples are rich in enzyme bromelain that helps prevent blood clots, a serious and sadly common complication of varicose veins.

Eating organic, raw vegetables and fruit along with one or two glasses daily of fresh fruit or vegetable juice a day are great boost in preventing and treating varicose veins as well as other blood vessel disorders. Try and experiment with apple, beet, carrot, celery, citrus, parsley, or pineapple juices. You can also use dietary supplements if buying a juicer is out of question at the moment.