Let’s start this week with some shameless self-promotion for my new Nutrifit course.

The second group just completed their six weeks and got some fantastic results. All in, they lost over 140 pounds and a whole lot of inches. It’s the best feeling having someone hug you when they get off a scale.

The third course starts June 2 — I have seven spaces left in the group of 15, so please get in touch if you are interested in joining in.

Although weight-loss is one aspect of the course, the biggest emphasis is on optimum nutrition. This means eating food that actively does your body good — boosting your immune system, supporting your nervous system, improving your energy levels and protecting you from premature ageing. For many people this just means making simple adjustments, to others, this means a radical dietary overhaul.

Every now and then I work with someone who is getting their diet so completely and utterly wrong, I wonder how they’re still alive. And although making all the necessary changes can be tricky, the results in these circumstances are often life-changing.

Let me give you one example. This lady (she has requested anonymity) had a serious diet soda addiction that ties in nicely to our question of the week.

“I used to drink three to four diet Sunkists every day and oftentimes also one or two diet cokes. At the beginning of the six-week session I was so focused on the meal plan that I did not really miss the sodas.

“About week three the cravings kicked back in. I used real lemon diluted with water, and also Ocean Spray Cranberry “no sugar added” diluted with water. As you know, I had major problems with nausea and vomiting and to a lesser extent lightheadedness and fainting. I would be nauseous approximately five nights a week, to such an extent that I really had to fight hard not to throw-up and sometimes I actually would vomit.

“The change in the way I feel is absolutely amazing... no headaches, no nausea, no more throwing up! I can’t say that it is all due to giving up soda however. I now follow your food plan but I make substitutions when you suggest yucky things like celery!

“I eat less than I used to. And I eat a healthy breakfast every day. I used to start my day with chocolate and diet Sunkist, and my diet would go downhill from there. I probably had on average three to five chocolate bars a day, followed by cookies and diet drinks. My only protein would be at dinnertime. “I now exercise six days a week. Six mornings a week I run on my treadmill (I have built up to jogging four miles) and on Monday, Thursday and Saturday I also exercise with the group. A huge factor in being able to stick with the programme is the fact that my husband follows the programme with me. Between us we have lost 22 pounds.”

Question of the week: “Are diet sodas healthy?” — from E. Patterson of Warwick

Switching to diet soda is certainly one way to slash calories from your diet. One small bottle of normal soda can contain up to 21 teaspoons of sugar— can you imagine putting that in a cup of tea or coffee? As excess sugar in the bloodstream can disrupt blood sugar balance and cause weight gain, switching to diet sodas could be viewed as a positive move. However, the first thing to think about is this. What does a diet-soda actually do for your body? It may help to reduce your sugar intake (and so can be very useful for weaning yourself down or off sodas altogether) but does it provide your body with any benefit? Check out the ingredients of a diet drink — there’s normally no nutritional value, and a whole heap of chemicals.

While the changes in the case history above where no doubt achieved by a combination of diet and lifestyle factors, giving up diet-soda was certainly a positive step. There’s an increasing amount of research that links artificial sweeteners (particularly a high intake) to symptoms such as headaches, fatigue and nausea.

Also, if you satisfy your thirst with diet sodas, think about what you may be missing out on. Water is absolutely crucial for adequate hydration. Staying hydrated helps to maintain your energy levels, keeps your skin supple and helps to prevent heart disease and bladder cancer.

Further, the phosphorous content of sodas can actually inhibit calcium absorption, which may contribute to bone loss and ultimately, osteoporosis. In addition, diet drinks also contain acids, which can deplete bone density and damage tooth enamel.

In my view, diet sodas can only be considered “healthy” when they are helping someone wean themselves off sugary drinks, and even then, only on a short-term basis. Ultimately it’s much better to drink something that actually does your body good — which generally means water, water and more water!

However, there are now a few good compromises out there on the market. “O water” is simply water, with literally just a twist of real fruit juice. I like it, but it may take those with a sweeter tooth a while to adjust. For the occasional sweet drink, try diluting six ounces of 100 percent fruit juice with six ounces of still or sparkling water. Izze and Fizzy Lizzy are two diluted fruit juice products — both of which taste great and are free from artificial sweeteners — but as they only dilute with approximately 30 percent water, the sugar content is still quite high. If you do buy these, have them in moderation only.

The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns is a fully qualified Nutritional Therapist. She can be contacted at 291-4725 or clinicalnutrition@gmail.com. Course details: www.nutrifitbermuda.bm.