The nutritionist has given a rule for those who want to shed a few kilos: you will quickly notice the changes.

The doctor also gave advice for those who want to lose weight. You should not give up any product, says the doctor, the food should be balanced, but he suggests not eating anything for at least a few hours before going to bed; This will help you lose weight and avoid the “yo-yo” effect.

– Up to half of people with COVID-19 are diagnosed with malnutrition. What does this mean? Do people just lose their appetite?

– Not at all. However, it is necessary to assess how the person was ill or was hospitalized. If you’ve just had cold symptoms for a week or two, your health will likely recover quickly. Severely ill patients require more intensive care and are monitored. If we see that a person cannot eat enough, that there is a loss of body weight, nutritional therapy is applied. When the situation improves, the person is simply observed.

– As I understand it, the appetite decreases due to residual phenomena. Does the virus affect our body in any other way?

– As with any acute illness, trauma, burn, a severe infection affects the body in a way that greatly increases bodily costs. This depletes very important resources, especially proteins. If the necessary substances are not restored, complications occur: the person weakens, the appetite is further reduced.

– I’ve heard that even people who get sick easily feel tired for a few more months. What should be the diet to help regain strength? And you mentioned protein, should you think about more protein that you eat after illness?

– First of all, you have to think about how much a person really eats. If you can’t evaluate it yourself, nutritionists and dietitians can help. However, the person himself has to think about whether there is enough variety of food on his plate, whether he has not stopped at one plate or one type of food. The most important thing in a balanced diet is to think of healthy proteins, carbohydrates, and fats at every meal. The more diverse the food, the more a person can be assured that their needs are met. The amount of food eaten is then evaluated.

– What changes in the body should I react to after COVID-19, how much weight can I lose? After all, few consider weight loss a bad thing.

– Yes, patients often enjoy reduced volumes after illness. But as you feel better, your body weight will gradually be the same as before. It should be noted if a person eats less than 75% after the disease. previously eaten food if body weight has decreased by 5%. within 3 months. But it is necessary to assess the whole picture: if there has been a decrease in the amount of food eaten, if there has been a change in body weight, if there is a chronic disease, what are the blood counts. Body weight alone cannot reflect the situation. The main indicator should be well-being, if it is bad, there is no energy, weight loss – this is a serious sign that you need to talk to doctors.

– If a person sees that he has no appetite, loses weight and uses it to lose weight, what are the consequences?

– It is necessary to weigh whether weight loss redeems bad mood, lack of energy, think about the benefits and harms of such a condition. A conscientious person will want to avoid feeling bad. As for the consequences, despite the deterioration of blood counts, the lack of energy in swollen legs carries the risk of other infections because a weakened immune system cannot fight any infection. In case of trauma or some illness, it will be much more difficult to cure, you will have to stay in the hospital longer. The risks are endless. Later, patients, I speak of psychiatric patients, find it very difficult to get out of this state because they only see the image in the mirror and not the general health. Often this ends with death.

– When should the appetite be stimulated and how to do it, in what ways?

– There are different ways, sometimes popular. However, the appetite usually appears within a week. You have to try to eat what you want in the moment, little by little, but more often. Think about which food will bring the most benefits, whether it is breadcrumbs or a small piece of fried chicken. Think protein, avoid sweets that give you a quick feeling of fullness. The first choice food should be the one that will bring the most benefits. We are in the habit of offering soups to seriously ill patients, but we recommend starting eating from the second meal, which will provide you with more calories, more protein. And only after that, if there is room left, think about soup.

When is it worth thinking about food supplements and vitamins for a healthy person? And in general, is it worth it? Because there are a wide variety of ads. We seem to take 15 tablets a day and get all the ingredients.

– Blood tests show what is missing and what is not. Most Lithuanians are lacking in vitamin D, but sometimes after research we find that it is even too much. A healthy person will remove excess vitamins, but in this case it is an unnecessary waste of money. If a person thinks that he eats a variety of foods and eats vegetables, fruits, whole grains, groats, a little meat, a little fish, legumes every day, he probably will not be lacking for anything. Unless there is a chronic disease or a congenital health condition. There is no single answer for who needs vitamins and when.

– Private clinics offer a variety of vitamin tests that you can test from A to Z. Do you need them? Hospital funds do not reimburse them if there are no directions.

– If a person feels good, eats well and in various ways, he may need to have a vitamin D test once a year, a general blood test also shows some indicators. If a person does not eat fish at all or eats it infrequently, they should think about omega-3 fatty acids.

– How important is food for our immunity? Are there by-products like certain berries or seeds that you would suggest including in your diet?

– Unfortunately, there is no single product that allows us to eat healthy every day. A variety of foods is important because only in this way do we get all the ingredients we need. In summer, it is recommended to eat at least half a glass of berries a day. But we can’t eat them all day, so we won’t eat enough protein and fat-containing products.

– In the summer we eat less fatty foods, maybe this is a good time to reduce calories and lose weight?

– Yes, people stay longer in nature, many times they no longer prepare dinner, because they spend the afternoons at home in winter and not in summer. Summer itself is a time of year when you eat less. But by eating only ice cream, watermelons and berries, we get a lot of sugar. Its excess is harmful to the body. It is better to eat fresh vegetables and salads.

– What would be your advice if a person wants to shed a few kilos quickly? The buckwheat diet, as I understand it, will not be offered.

– I never recommend losing weight in the short term, because then the changes are short-lived. There is a “yo-yo” effect when the weight decreases and then increases again. This then ends in a chronic illness. You don’t need to give up some food. If you cannot reduce your portions, you should think about the amount of time you eat. Maybe you just stop eating 2-3 hours before bed. Therefore, the basic rule is to eat varied and regular foods to greatly reduce the amount of food before going to bed. The person will quickly notice the results.