About Me


This is my blog. Find motivation, inspiration and information here! I also share delicious recipes on my blog to keep your meal plan inspired and tasty!

I am Marna Doussy. A registered dietician with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA); also a member of the Association For Dietetics of South Africa (ADSA). 

My primary goal is to help my patients achieve a healthier nutritional status by making the healthier choices in life - and to guide them on this journey towards a more balanced dietary intake.  


 
EAT HEALTHY - FEEL HEALTHY - LIVE HEALTHY 


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Popular posts from this blog

Portions 101

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How much do we really know about portions? Do we know what is "enough"? Or, what is too much? Restaurants, takeaways and food packaging sizes are causing some confusion, and often these "servings" are WAY too big for the average adult. So, do you know how much you should be eating from the different food groups?  This blog post will clear things up and give you a practical view of the average amount of the different food groups we should eat at our main meal.  The food groups are divided into 4 main categories: Protein, starches, vegetables/salad, and lastly, fat.  Let's take a look!  In general, this is what a plate should look like at lunch and/or dinner. 1. DIFFERENT FOOD GROUPS  Firstly, the most important remark: It should contain different food groups. We should always include a variety of different food groups to get the most benefits out of the meal (with regards to nutrients); different food groups can help us to stay fuller for longer while helping to
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IBS Explained

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When talking about IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) we are actually referring to a cluster of symptoms which occur together. It is also known as “spastic colon” due to the spasm-like cramps experienced. With IBS, the person experiences symptoms of extreme cramps; bloating and constipation which may also then be followed by bouts of explosive diarrhoea. These symptoms vary in severity and may be worsened with STRESS. Just another wonderful kickback of STRESS (yes, smell the sarcasm there!). HOW DOES IT HAPPEN? When we eat food, it travels to the stomach, through the body to the digestive tract - first through the small intestine (important absorption takes place) and eventually it reaches the COLON. By now, the “food” can be referred to as “stool”. Sometimes, the stool is too hard and will “clog” the colon causing the stool to come to a complete stop in its travels (a.k.a constipation). When the stool is just lying in the colon, it starts to be fermented by the good bacteria we have in
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TOP 5 FOOD SWAPS FOR A HEALTHIER YOU

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To follow a healthy lifestyle doesn’t always have to be “life changing” habits and extreme routines. Sometimes, a little goes a long way. I want to show you some small changes that you can make now. Smarter choices here and there can ultimately help you to reach your health goals: maybe you want to lose weight, prevent high blood pressure or just feel like you’ve got more energy! Let’s take a look at how we can make small changes for BIG impacts! 1. MILK & DAIRY PRODUCTS A small, easy change you can make is: YOUR MILK and DAIRY PRODUCTS: Change from full cream or full fat, to low fat/medium fat milk and dairy products. It won’t affect the taste or any nutrients -only difference is the fat content will be lower leading to lower energy content as well! BONUS! 2. FOOD PREPARATION  Food preparation is also a huge culprit of unhealthy habits, that we tend to overlook when trying to be healthier. Instead of deep frying everything in loads of oil, try to measure the amo
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How to Eat for Health!

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Phytonutrients 101 Would you believe me if I said your grocery basket is the new day’s equivalent to your pharmacy shopping? As Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food’. This where the current nutritional train of thought is blasting full steam ahead. Of course, Hippocrates was WAY ahead of his time, but scientific research based on long term studies, have now actually confirmed his statement. I think that is pretty amazing, well done Hippocrates! Food comprises of the exciting abilities to protect us from diseases. It is obvious that certain foods would increase your risk to suffer from a certain disease later in time (think of the good old salt will give you high blood pressure, sugar will give you diabetes type 2 and so on). With those statements, we aim to decrease the intake thereof to protect us from the illness. But now, it works in the other way around: We now aim to INCREASE CONSUMPTION TO PREVENT DISEASE. Before you get carried away, let’s lo
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The BEST Oats Cookies Recipe

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These will become your ultimate favorite oats cookies. A quick 30-minute recipe that yields 12 cookies. They are super crunchy, high in fiber, and perfect as a snack for tea time! Get busy baking!   Makes 12 cookies • Time: 30 minutes Ingredients 1 cup coconut flakes 1/2 cup flour (any type) 1,5 cup oats 1/4 cup sugar 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking powder 3 tablespoons mixed seeds 1/3 cup butter 3 tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons milk Method Preheat the oven to 180°C. Mix all the dry ingredients: Coconut, flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and seeds. Melt the butter and honey in the microwave and stir them together. Mix the butter mixture with the dry ingredients. Add the milk (any milk/alternative can work). Mix it well. In an oven plate, firmly press the dough to make a layer about 2 cm thick. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes. The cookies should rise slightly, start to brown and be dry when you test them. Let it cool down for about 10 minutes before you cut
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