Isabelle Huot Reveals the Secrets of Healthy Eating

Ms. Huot, did you know that diabetes and cholesterol can affect hearing? Oh? Diabetes is a major problem. We're eating too much sugar and too many calories. It's worse than high blood pressure and high cholesterol. We need to treat diabetes as the root cause of all its associated illnesses. You mentioned hearing loss, but diabetes can also lead to cardiovascular damage, neurological problems, vision problems, and more. You really need to watch your blood sugar. People don't know how to manage their carbohydrates or find good sources of fibre. They're eating refined grains (like pasta and white bread), when they should be including more whole grains in their diet.

First and foremost, I'd recommend losing weight. It's as clear as day: 90% of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight. Normally, losing 10% of your body weight will resolve prediabetes. It can be done by changing your diet and doing 30 minutes of exercise per day, even if it's only walking. A 30-minute walk can burn up to 200 calories, which is a great start!

The first trick is to stop eating at night. It's such a common problem. If you eat at 5 PM and don't go to bed until midnight, it's fine to have a small pot of yogurt or a handful of fruit. But snacking for the sake of snacking—eating a bag of chips or some cookies while watching TV—that's a problem.

Secondly, cut back on sugar. WHO (World Health Organization) says that we should be eating only six teaspoons of added sugar per day. That's not much! Sugar is in everything. That's the nutritionist's mantra. Health Canada has also come out with a new guide. We're going to start seeing sugar as an issue, and the nutrition labelling guide will be revised. Reducing our sugar intake is definitely difficult, because our bodies develop a tolerance for sugar. That's why it's important to reduce your intake gradually. For instance, you can stop putting sugar in your coffee or tea. It allows you to rediscover and appreciate its aroma, its flavour, even its bitterness.

Quitting sugar is fine, but not starches. If you cut out sugar and follow the "paleo" diet (meat and vegetables), you aren't getting any carbohydrates. The body needs carbohydrates to function, so at some point you'll end up binging on them. That's not what you want! However, if you say, "I'm going to eat whole grains at breakfast, lunch and dinner, but no starches in between meals. I'll have fruits, vegetables and proteins instead," that's much better. You won't end up with those uncontrollable cravings.

Yes! There's pasta, there's pizza... I don't want it to feel like a diet. You can eat your favourite foods, but everything's calculated. Calories, proteins, sodium, carbohydrates and fibres are all accounted for, and there are no additives. These meals aren't just for losing weight. I'll eat one at lunch because I know it has all of the nutrients I need; it's a full meal, without being too heavy. We tend to overeat during meals, which gives us much less energy for the rest of the day.

I developed a Kilo Solution chocolate for just that reason. It has only 100 calories and a tiny bit of sugar, but it's just the right amount. Barring that, try to have the smallest serving possible. If you're really craving chips, pour yourself a bowl of just 10 chips. Then close the bag and keep it out of sight, not open on the counter! Also, make sure you sit down and savour those chips. There's no such thing as "forbidden food," per se. It's just that some foods, like chips, are often eaten compulsively. People tend to try and quit these foods completely, but then they have a chocolate éclair and say "Oh well, I'll start my diet tomorrow." It just leads to frustration. It's better to have things like that occasionally, so you don't end up binging on a whole box of cookies. For women, evenings are the most dangerous time for cravings. We tend to spend the day thinking of others, not ourselves. Then in the evenings, when we have a moment to ourselves, we start to eat our feelings. Food is comforting, it feels good. So you end up eating an entire row of cookies instead of just one. It can even lead to something called binge eating disorder, which is an eating disorder similar to bulimia, without the vomiting. It's classified as eating uncontrollably more than three times a week. If that's happening to you, you should get it checked out. But eating your feelings is really common, especially in women.

The Kilo Cardio books are really designed for weight loss. Cook and lose 2-3 pounds per week. They're full of meals that work really well. We have testimonials from people who have lost 150 pounds in a year, year and a half. Bien manger au féminin with Josée Lavigueur is another good one. Manger et bouger au féminin deals with women's issues: low energy, osteoporosis, menopause, weight loss... Pretty much everything that has to do with women, along with meal and exercise solutions. Beauty foods: are there foods that will halt aging? What can I add to my diet so I'll have nicer hair or nails? It's really tailored to women, and it's not just a weight loss book. It contains healthy recipes for women that I wanted to see. I also have some clients who want to gain weight. I advise them to add smoothies (350-400 calories) to their diets. One a day: a banana, some milk, some peanut butter, a bit of wheat germ. One smoothie a day will help them gain around 3 pounds per month.

Thank you to Ms. Huot for the interview!