Vicky wants to know:

How did the idea of Desktop Dan first come about?

Frankie said:

Not everybody can afford to have their own dietician or their own personal trainer. So Desktop D.A.N. (Diet And Nutrition) is there to help people with motivating themselves to follow a healthy diet and lifestyle, to improve health overall by just giving a gentle motivation nudge every week.

Frank wants to know:

Is all of the advice on Desktop D.A.N from dietitians?

Frankie said:

The advice from D.A.N. includes diet, nutrition and healthy living tips and also has some ideas for easy quick and cheap meals. So although the nutrition aspects have been compiled by dietitians, there have been other experts giving their tips on great meal ideas and fitness hints. The British Dietetic Association has worked with Canned Food UK to approve all of the content so we're convinced that the tips are really effective and achievable.

Alison wants to know:

As you said, dietitians can be expensive, so how much does it cost to get advice from Desktop D.A.N?

Frankie said:

Yes it's true - it can be expensive to consult a dietitian privately but it is a service that's available free on the NHS so you can ask your GP if there's a dietitian you can access. But Desktop D.A.N. is absolutely free at www.cannedfood.co.uk and gives a weekly tip and links to some great information and ideas to help you. You can get more information on a whole host of nutrition topics from the BDA's own website: www.bda.uk.com.

Lee would like to find out:

Why is Desktop D.A.N the first such creation to be approved by the British Dietetic Association? What sets it aside from other similar dietary plans?

Frankie said:

Most people find it difficult to motivate themselves to stick to a healthy eating plan and in a recent survey we found that 8 out of 10 people said that regular advice from a personal dietitian would make sticking to a healthier lifestyle easier so we've married the two ideas to come up with Desktop D.A.N. There's a lot of information on the web about diet and nutrition and unfortunately not all of it is based on good science. The BDA feels strongly that people should have access to accurate information about nutrition so that they can make their own choices about which foods to eat. So we've checked out all of the information you get from D.A.N. to make sure that the tips and hints are based on ideas that really work.

Alison wants to know:

Can you enter tailored questions into Desktop D.A.N. or does it just pop up with advice automatically on your desktop?

Frankie said:

You won't be able to enter your own dietary plan onto D.A.N. so it isn't individually tailored but on the other hand, the advice and tips are completely appropriate for most people so you'll find plenty of advice that's relevant to you.

Perry wants to know:

I'm a mum of three and want an easy way to diet and get back into shape. Is there any such way or could you help me please, I don't want to be a fat mum I'm in a size 12 - 14 and want to get down to a size 10.

Frankie said:

Firstly, congratulations on your fantastic family achievement. Being a mum of 3 is definitely a big job. Regarding your concerns about your size - size 12-14 doesn't sound as if it makes you 'a fat mum' and you certainly shouldn't feel under pressure to get down as low as a size 10. Size 12 is probably okay for you now, after having 3 children. In terms of what you can do, trying to be more active in-between running after the children is a great way to start and always make sure you get time to eat regular meals, starting with breakfast. You might find that having more fibrous foods such as porridge or wholegrain cereal in the morning and a hearty soup at lunchtime followed by your family meal is an achievable way to keep feeling full up and enjoying meals with the family. Check out your portion sizes and don't finish off the children's leftovers. Look at your snacking habits and why not keep a diary of what you eat and drink over a week or so to give you a good idea of the tough areas for you. For more information on this I'd really recommend that you check out our Weight Wise website: www.bdaweightwise.com.

Jim would like some advice on energy foods:

Hi Frankie. I exercise everyday for one hour. Mid-afternoon regardless of what I have eaten at lunchtime, usually a mixture of carbs and protein, I get a massive dip in my blood sugar levels, what do you suggest I should eat to bring my blood sugar levels back up again?

Frankie said:

Having a mid-afternoon lull in your energy levels is quite common and most people find that having wholegrain carbs at lunchtime helps to maintain their blood sugar levels. Provided you're not diabetic and on insulin, your body does keep your blood sugar levels in the normal range but they can still fluctuate. If you find wholegrains like wholemeal bread or pitta and a bean salad don't fill the gap, try a mid-afternoon snack of slow release carbs like an oat-based cereal bar or some fruit like an apple or pear.

A Moderator said:

Jill wants to know: "I've read that eating certain types of foods, like asparagus can aid your lymphatic system and help reduce cellulite. Is there any truth to this? "

Frankie said:

No, that's not true. Sadly, cellulite is a fact of life for many of us and exercise, body brushing and following a healthy diet is about all we can do. So if you're overweight and have cellulite, try to up those activity levels - get out for a walk during your lunch break and take the stairs where you can, and look at simple ways to slowly bring the weight down a little. Try going to www.bdaweightwise.com for some guidance. And why not download D.A.N. at www.cannedfood.co.uk to give you a few tips about healthier living and activity.

Emma needs some help on RDA:

I get really confused by Recommended Daily Amounts. Is it really that important? If so, how do I know for instance, how much salt is 6g or how much fat is too much?

Frankie said:

RDA's are a useful guide to give you an idea about how much of the nutrients you should aim for in a typical day. In terms of salt, we eat far more than we need and even 6g is more than the body needs every day. If you look at labels, it should now be quite easy to spot how much salt is in a portion of food but if it's written as sodium per portion, you need to do some quick maths and multiply up the sodium by 2.5x to give a guide...

Emma needs some help on RDA:

I get really confused by Recommended Daily Amounts. Is it really that important? If so, how do I know for instance, how much salt is 6g or how much fat is too much?

Frankie said:

...For fats, you should be aiming to have no more than 75g a day and try to look for some lower-fat alternatives. Perhaps change to semi-skimmed milk, go for small portions of a strong cheese rather than larger portions of mild cheese and try to bake and grill instead of frying food. There are alternatives to some of your high fat favourite recipes on www.cannedfood.co.uk.

Dave wants to know:

I'm a meat and carbs guy, is there any way I can fit this into the kind of lifestyle you recommend? I'm allergic to fish and don't like vegetables, but I do like fruit.

Frankie said:

There's nothing wrong with having meat and potatoes but are you sure you don't like any vegetables? Even adding a can of garden peas or a handful of frozen sweetcorn to your meal will count as one portion towards your 5 fruit and veg. For the carbs, try to go for wholegrain varieties like brown rice, whole-wheat pasta and eat the skins on your potatoes to get the extra goodness. And enjoy a variety of different fruits. Have you tried vegetable juices?

Wendy would like some recipes:

Can you please give me some simple easy suggestions for work lunches that I can prepare at home? No soup or sandwiches - I'm sick of both!

Frankie said:

Desktop D.A.N. is ideal for you because he gives plenty of ideas for easy nutritious packed lunches so I'd recommend you download him right away! Have you tried taking a mixed bean salad? This, and other recipes that you can make easily at home, are on the website from D.A.N. Have you got access to a microwave and toaster? Baked beans on toast makes a great winter warming lunch and is packed with nutrients. Top it with cheese for extra calcium and have a piece of fruit to help absorb the iron.

Oscar wants to know:

What's the difference between a dietitian and a nutritionist?

Frankie said:

Basically, with a dietitian, you can be 100% sure that you're speaking to a qualified professional. That's because you can only call yourself a dietitian if you've done a 3 or 4-year degree course or a post-graduate diploma and it's the only nutrition profession that is registered with the Health Professions Council. Anyone can call themselves a nutritionist at the moment so before you follow nutritional advice, check out the qualifications of the person you're speaking to. For more details on this complicated area, go to www.bda.uk.com

Manny wants to know:

Do all practising dietitians need to be affiliated to the BDA? Is there a list of affiliated dietitians online? If so where can I find this?

Frankie said:

Although most dietitians are members of the BDA, it's not essential, but to practice in the UK all dietitians must be registered with the Health Professions Council (www.hpc-uk.org). If you're concerned that your dietitian might not be registered, you can check this out on the HPC website (see above).

Heidi wants to know:

I think I would find it a lot easier to stick to my diet if I have a daily diet plan written up for me. Is this a feature of Desktop D.A.N?

Frankie said:

Yes, some people do find it easier to just follow a daily diet plan, so you're not alone. D.A.N. will give you weekly tips and might just be the motivation that you need to stick to your diet. D.A.N. offers links to a range of recipe ideas so you can build your own daily diet plan because all of the recipes include nutritional breakdowns. Good luck!

Alli wants to know:

I have heard about the Glycaemic Index. Does D.A.N. have any information on how foods fall into this, and how should it affect what I eat, please?

Frankie said:

No, D.A.N. doesn't give information about GI. Glycaemic Index is a way of measuring the effect certain foods have on blood sugar level - it doesn't automatically give you a healthy balanced diet if you just stick to low GI foods. I'd suggest eating regular meals, starting with breakfast, and including 5 fruit and veg a day. Base your meals on wholegrain starchy carbs with small amounts of protein foods like meat, fish and beans. Include some dairy foods or calcium enriched soya and of course, the occasional treat.

The Moderator said:

So Frankie, any final messages for everyone who logged on today?

Frankie said:

If you're heading towards Christmas with the intention of losing a few pounds but find motivation an issue, try downloading Desktop D.A.N. as an early free Christmas treat for yourself and make the most of the free and convenient advice from your own desktop dietitian.