You don’t have to be Proust to know that food is not just a matter of calories and nutrients, but also a catalyst of emotions and feelings. Colours, scents, smells, flavours and textures evoke memories in us, gratify us as the famous “Madeleines” of a lost time, while we are terrified of losing time.

It’s one of the great powers that food has in human life. There is, however, a risk in remaining prisoners, dependent on that lost time, from that search for food as a remedy to the anxieties of everyday life. In this search for a relief at the end of the day, a panacea to stress, we dive into the conviviality of the aperitif and continue to swim in the anonymity of an ice-cream in front of the TV. Eating habits are so insinuated that they lead to an unbalanced diet, to not feel fit, to not recognize us in the mirror.

In this context the nutritionist is not to be seen as the specialist from the magic potion, but as a travel companion, a coach, a coach that helps us to maintain the pleasure that gives food, without succumbing to it.

We talked to Vanessa Daldini at Diamond Diet.

 

What is the most common food error?

“The idea to skip the meal. Several people do not eat during the day and then empty the fridge in the evening... at dinner and after dinner.”

 

Why does this happen?

“Because many people feel stressed, they live frantically with the commitments of the day. In the evening, the aperitif or dinner are seen as moments of gratification through food, moments that then move after dinner on the so-fa with the tub of ice-cream or various snacks. From an early age, we are often educated about food as a reward and this triggers certain mechanisms in us.”

 

How to prevent “couch syndrome”?

“It is necessary to carry out a food re-education, understanding that our body must nourish itself in a balanced way. Several times a day: breakfast, a snack in the middle of the morning, lunch, another snack in the middle of the afternoon and dinner. In this way you control the quantities and do not need to eliminate carbohydrates or any other food.”

 

Sounds simple when you say it like that.

“In fact, it is from a practical point of view, as my diets are customized but are based on foods that are normally found in stores; no pills or drinks. The difficulty is psychological, it is when you arrive home in the evening and you have to resist the urge to binge. That’s why my phone is always on from Monday to Friday until 7 pm. And usually from 4.30 pm onwards, calls follow each other. Sometimes 10 seconds is enough for advice on aperitifs or what to order for dinner. It is a fundamental support for those who have chosen to change habits.”

 

Some kind of tutoring.

“Let’s say yes. In any case my diets are one week, then with the customer, you resend it and you reset the diet. Lifestyles must also be taken into account. The nurse who takes turns can not have the day marked by five meals with the same timing, for example, a kindergarten teacher who eats with children.”

 

Is your clientele predominantly female?

“80 percent. Men are more secretive and do not like to let people know that they go to a nutritionist. In general, you could also say that usually the man with a few extra pounds does not create problems, unlike women. In addition, men are usually less emotional, live situations with less anxiety and as a result are less prone to compensate for frustration by taking refuge in food. Although each of us is a case in itself and you can not generalize.”

 

Is it true that it’s not okay to lose weight drastically?

“It depends. If I lose it because I only eat protein, it’s not good. But if I lose it because I eat five times in a balanced way it means that my body is eliminating what’s in excess. Weight loss is only harmful if done recklessly for one’s health.”

Can vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free diets be integrated with Diamond Diet?

“Of course. According to people’s dietary choices, the important thing is that, if you eliminate certain foods, they are compensated by others. A vegan diet, for example, can make you fat if you let carbohydrates prevail.”

 

Is your diet just for people who need to lose weight?

“No. I am in charge of teaching people how to develop an adequate diet for themselves. In several cases we start from overweight situations. But there are also simply those who want to reeducate themselves to a healthier and more varied diet and above all, a more aware diet. Moreover, a balanced diet, eating 5 times a day, is also suitable for those underweight. In the case of food intolerances or people with digestion problems we try to identify how to replace foods that create health problems with others that can compensate in a balanced way their diet.”

 

Are there also young people who turn to you?

“I must say that my clientele is predominantly between 30 and 45 years old and usually young people come to me if they are brought by their parents. But I can’t help in noticing the change in lifestyle that has taken place in recent years. More and more children at the age of 12 are accustomed to eating out of the house at all hours of the day and do so by feeding on cheeseburgers, chips or kebabs. They risk becoming the obese of tomorrow. I see many girls of 13 or 14 years old already overweight. Once we used to go play in the park, today we go to the fast food.”

Yes, the question is always that, food is not only nourishment for the body but occasion of socialization, sharing, exaltation and consolation, and many other things that we pour into. Nothing wrong with that, the important thing is to correctly choose the quality and quantity of that food. It means learning to eat again.

 

Vanessa Daldini
Year of birth: 1989
Profession: nutritionist

After obtaining the certificate of consultant in nutrition and other titles she develops he rown method of slimming based on food combinations, where you can lose weight by eating 5 times a day.

She is the founder of the Diamond Clinic centres in Lugano and Grono.

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