BANGOR, Maine Diets...diets..diets! We hear about them all the time and might have even tried some ourselves in the quest to lose weight and stay fit but experts say just because something is working for you, doesn't mean it will work for your pet.

"You need to see something that actually makes you feel good about what you are doing... good about what you are eating," said Jackie Conn, the manager of Weight Watchers Maine.

Pet owners sometimes think buying grain-free products or giving your furry friend a vegan or vegetarian products or raw foods will help them but actually this trend can cause health problems for many pets.

"There are so many ways that people are choosing for themselves to eat, and often times trying to choose something unique for their pet," said Dr. David Cloutier, veterinarian and owner of theVeazie Veterinary Clinic.

Many give leftovers including meat and chicken scraps to pets but Cloutier says theses can cause harm in the long run and cause animals to gain weight.

"That becomes the go-to for everyone, I am going to give them meat scraps, I am going to give them chicken, I am giving them an egg. People always tend to think protein. We see a lot of dogs that are overweight. We are constantly battling overweight dogs," says Cloutier.

Cloutier says dogs should NOT regularly be fed the things you typically eat. Fruits and vegetables are fine, with the exception of grapes and raisins.

Cats, on the other hand, are meat-eaters. The smartest move for them is to buy a nutritionally complete cat food.

In just the last few months Cloutier has seen five cases of cardiomyopathy or heart failure in dogs. He thinks it may well have been an issue of diet, especially owners that only give grain-free products to their dogs.

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"All of those owners were unaware that this was a potential risk and most of them, actually all of them, unfortunately, were led to believe that they were feeding their dog a more healthy diet," said Cloutier.

Cloutier says it is important that pet owners stick to the standard diet for cats and dogs.

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Pet diet trends can have negative health consequences according to experts - NewsCenterMaine.com WCSH-WLBZ

If youre like me, you cant help but snack every now and then (or always!).

If youre also like me, you also dont buy them so that you arent tempted to ruin your diet. The good news? Just because you find yourself munching, however, doesnt mean it has to ruin your diet.

Eating snacks is actually a good thing. When you snack throughout the day, youre actually curbing your hunger to prevent overeating and overindulging when you actually do sit down to eat your meal. If snacking is done right, there can also be some nutritional benefits. Though, you may not always want to pick up some grapes or nuts when youre in the mood for a fix.

For those who have a sweet tooth every now and then, and need to step outside of traditional clean eating, here are a few great on-the-go snack options.

My:Mo Mochi Cashew Cream Frozen Dessert

Munk Pack

RSP Nutrition Protein Brownie

Simply Delish Pudding

Truth Bar

Oats Overnight

SmartSweets

ICONIC Protein

Smartfood Smart50

Raw Generation

Beanfields

Love Good Fats

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12 Healthy Snacks To Keep Your Diet On Track - Essence

Our overall health is linked to the gut and diet is the most powerful tool for shaping your gut microbiota, states Liping Zhao, who we interviewed at the 8th Gut Microbiota for Health World Summit, in Miami.

In his lab, at the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology at Rutgers University in New Jersey (USA), Professor Zhao and his team design pioneering dietary interventions, applying genomic tools to understand the impact of food on gut microbiota and how that can be used to improve human metabolic health. As part of their work, they have discovered how a high fiber diet can change the gut microbiome and thus benefit patients with type 2 diabetes.

According to Zhao, our gut works like a fermenter. Bacteria live in our gut and take nutrients from our diet every day. Any non-digestible or undigested dietary components will escape digestion through absorption and then become available to gut bacteria. That is why diet is so powerful, because it feeds nutrients to our gut microbiota.

Of all the dietary components, fiber is crucial. But, as Professor Zhao points out, it is not just any fiber; rather, its the fiber that is part of your traditional diet. In other words, the diet with which we have co-evolved for thousands of years.

If you are born in a Mediterranean country, better to keep your Mediterranean diet, he says. Over generations, your family has been eating a traditional local diet, so the bacteria you take from your parents, and particularly from your mother, have been feeding on that same diet. Thats why our bacteria are most likely using the same nutrients.

The reason behind Professor Zhaos assertion is that he has found there is a core group of bacteria that act like the foundation guild of gut health. And if we provide enough nutrients for this core group of bacteriaand avoid letting pathogenic bacteria growthey will protect us and keep us healthy.

That is also why Zhao advises that if you move to a different country, for instance, youd better watch out. If the new diet doesnt have the necessary fiber to support your original foundation guild, this could cause a change in the core bacteria that provide the basis of gut health, leaving room for the gradual proliferation of pathogenic bacteria. And even remaining in the same country but enjoying everyday foods from other parts of the world can cause similar effects.

Moreover, it is not just what you eat, but also how you cook it. The way pasta and risotto are cooked al dente in the Mediterranean diet means the starch is less digestible and becomes a dietary fiber that promotes beneficial bacteria. As a result, explains Professor Zhao, The way you cook will decide whether the nutrients are available to you or to your gut bacteria.

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Why the fiber in your traditional diet could be the most beneficial for your gut microbiota - Gut Microbiota for Health

This transcript has been edited for clarity.

The PREVIEW project is a multinational diabetes prevention project for which I was fortunate to be one of the principal investigators. It is funded by the European Union and includes six European countries plus Australia and New Zealand.

We recruited 2300 people with proven prediabetes. The trial is different from many other diabetes prevention studies in that it had an initial weight-loss period on a low-calorie diet over 8 weeks. Participants had to lose 8% of their body weight in order to qualify for the next phase.

The successful participants, which were the vast majority, were then put into a diet and physical activity program for the next 3 years. The diet alternatives were high protein with a low glycemic index, or moderate protein with a moderate glycemic index. The physical activity interventions had the same total amount of activity but either at higher intensity for a shorter duration or at lower intensity for a longer duration.

Participants were introduced to the diet and activity program by dieticians and exercise therapists who had been trained centrally within the consortium to deliver cognitive-behavioral therapybased and motivational interviewingbased advice, teaching them about diet, diet composition, and types of physical activity.

Participants had frequent meetings with these specialists to start with, but they became less and less frequent over the 3-year period such that, in the final year, they didn't see them at all. They saw them at 24 months and then at the very end, at 36 months.

As you would expect with a program like this, the dropout rate was high. Overall, we had a little over 50% of participants drop out, so we ended up with 950 people at 3 years.

Based upon their initial risk, we had predicted that 21% would develop type 2 diabetes at 3 years. The expectation was that participants on the moderate-protein diet with activity would drop the rate of type 2 diabetes to approximately 15%, and those on the high-protein diet would drop it even further, to about 10%. It was very exciting, then, that only 4% developed type 2 diabetes, but it was disappointing that there was no difference between the diets.

We think that's partly because the initial weight loss was a real determinant of success. Participants maintained at least some of that weight loss over 3 years with good dietary and physical activity advice. It actually didn't matter about the diet composition because both diets were healthy. The diet that was higher in protein and lower in glycemic index was deemed to be healthier, but it wasn't sufficiently better than the moderate-protein diet to make a difference.

The challenge now is what to do going forward. Clearly, 3 years is good, but it's not a lifetime. Somehow, we need to develop systems to help these people manage their problems, keep their weight off, continue to be physically active, and minimize the chance of transitioning from their prediabetic condition to type 2 diabetes.

Interestingly, among the participants who finished, 18% no longer had prediabetes; they had glucose levels in the healthy range. Certainly, they need to maintain that state. The other participants who still have prediabetes need some sort of help in the future to remain in the prediabetic condition or to move toward normal, healthy glucose levels.

Ian MacDonald, PhD, is a professor of metabolic physiology at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom.His research is concerned with the functional consequences of metabolic and nutritional disturbances in health and disease, with specific interests in obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and exercise.He has published over 350 peer-reviewed original research papers, as well as reviews, book chapters, and invited contributions.

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'No Difference Between the Diets' in Reversing Prediabetes - Medscape

Eating a healthy diet can help adults live longer and have a lower risk of obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers. Healthy eating can even help people with chronic disease manage those conditions and prevent further complications. However, most Americans are not eating a healthy diet and could benefit from asking their physicians key questions about nutrition and lifestyle changes.

The AMAs Diabetes Prevention Guide supports physicians and health care organizations in defining and implementing evidence-based diabetes prevention strategies. This comprehensive and customized approach helps clinical practices and health care organizations identify patients with prediabetes and manage the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, including referring patients at risk to a National Diabetes Prevention Program lifestyle-change program based on their individual needs.

Here are some questions patients should be asking their physicians when it comes to their diets and lifestyle, along with the answers that doctors should be ready to share.

Most of the sodium in a persons diet comes from packaged, processed foods with adults consuming more than 3,400 mg of sodium per daymore than the 2,300 mg limit recommended by the American Heart Association (AHA). Minimizing the consumption of these foods can reduce sodium intake, lower BP and prevent hypertension from developing in the first place. One way to help patients minimize their consumption of sodium is by identifying the differentmyths about salt.

There are benefits to fish oil, but it should not replace eating fish. The AHA recommends eating fish at least two times a week because it is a good source of protein and, unlike fatty meat products, is not high in saturated fat. Fish is also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, which may help to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring, lake trout, sardines and albacore tuna are high in omega-3 fatty acids. But some types of fish contain high levels of mercury and other environmental contaminants. These are highest in older, larger, predatory fish and marine mammals. Patients should avoid eating shark, swordfish, king mackerel or tilefish because of their high levels of mercury, according to the AHA.

The new research about red and processed meat does not explain how much is safe to eat. Higher consumption of red meat is associated with increased risk of chronic disease and mortality. Current recommendations from the AHA, American Cancer Society and U.S. dietary guidelines call for limiting red meats and processed meats. Patients should continue to follow those recommendations.

Drinking diet sodas will not help a person lose weight. While diet soda is calorie-free, most cans still contain 40 mg of sodium. To add to that, diet sodas contain artificial sweeteners, which often confuse the body. When not consuming any liquid calories, it may be easier to justify that extra slice of pizza.

Most people should avoid artificial sweeteners completely because they stimulate appetite, encourage a sweet tooth and make people pack on the pounds. This places people at risk for obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and fatty liver. There is one exception, though. For patients with type 2 diabetes, artificial sweeteners are preferable to real sugar and are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration as food additives.

A diet that is high in fat can lead to weight gain, but it takes more than limiting high-fat foods to lose weight. It is also important to watch how many calories a person eats. Extra calories, even from fat-free and low-fat foods, can get stored in the body as fat. Low-fat options can help reduce total caloric intake, but it is also important to pay attention to caloric intake from carbohydrates and proteins.

While nuts are high in fat and calories, they are incredibly healthy. Eating nuts is not associated with weight gain, which means patients should regularly eat nuts as part of a healthy diet. Nuts can even help with weight loss, but it is important to exercise portion control.

Physicians should provide recommendations for moderate consumption and what is defined as a drink. Over time, heavy drinking can damage a persons heart. For healthy adults, women who have more than one drink a day and men who have more than two drinks a day can see an effect on blood pressure. One drink equals 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor.

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9 diet questions patients should be asking their doctors - American Medical Association

Plant-based diets have many health benefits, from better heart health to lower risk of certain cancers. But eschewing meat and other animal products may not really improve your sex life, according to available evidence.

Meat-eating is often associated with masculinity in popular culture. We call muscular men "beefy," and words like "sausage" often euphemize male genitalia.

However, a growing number of advocates and experts hypothesize that it's actually a plant-based diet that best supports erection size and staying power.

The new vegan-friendly Netflix documentary, "The Game Changers" (produced by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan, and James Cameron) dedicates a scene to exactly that topic, claiming that after a single plant-based meal, 3 young men found their erections lasted three times as long and were nearly 10% stronger.

Anecdotally, vegans have stronger, longer lasting erections but there's no evidence to back that up. Crystal Cox/Business Insider

The film features Dr. Aaron Spitz, urologist and author of "The Penis Book," a comprehensive medical guide to the human member.

In the movie, Spitz conducts a brief test on three male college athletes, measuring the girth, strength and duration of their erections over two nights as they sleep. The first night of the test, each of the men are given a meat-based burrito, and the resulting effects on their overnight erections is measured. The second night, the men are given plant-based burritos.

After eating the plant-based meal, all of the men showed an 8% increase in erection hardness, and a 300 to 500% increase in the amount of time their erections lasted, compared to the meat-based meal.

"This is not a scientifically validated study, but the results that we're seeing are very exciting," Spitz said in the film.

It turns out that those claims are supported by a rather flaccid body of evidence. Although anecdotal evidence is promising, there aren't yet any rigorous scientific studies to show a meat-free diet makes a difference on erections.

Vegan and vegetarian diets are typically low in saturated fat and cholesterol, which are plentiful in beef, pork, and dairy products. Healthy blood flow is also directly related to healthy erections high blood pressure, cholesterol, and other vascular problems linked to meat-eating have also been linked to erectile dysfunction.

It's true that better cardiac health can improve overall blood flow, which may lead to better erections, said Dr. Seth Cohen, urologist at NYU Langone Health.

"The harder your heart has to work to pump blood to your organs and everywhere else, the less actually makes it to the penis." Cohen told Insider.

But it's too early to say how, or if, plant-based diets affect sexual health, since the research just hasn't been done, he said.

"There really isn't any good data to say that a vegan diet will improve your erections," Cohen added Research slated for late this year aims to prove the virility of a plant-powered erection. gLuBeR/Getty Images

A new study to test how veganism directly affects men's sexual health has been scheduled for late 2019 or early 2020, led by Dr. Robert Ostfeld of Montefiore Medical Center. The research is funded by the Purjes Foundation, a nonprofit created by financier Dan Purjes to promote the health benefits of a plant-based diet.

"To the best of my knowledge, this is the first and only research of this kind," Purjes told Insider via email. "To be clear, there are many anecdotal stories that are similar, but not clinical trials or other rigorous scientific studies."

Purjes said he hopes the trial confirms the hypothesis that a plant-based diet can help with erectile dysfunction, paving the way for more rigorous studies that could eventually bring the research to a mainstream audience.

Any future testing, Cohen added, would have to not only need to include more than three participants to be scientifically valid, but also account for other variables such as exercise, sleep, and other healthy lifestyle markers.

Diet does have a significant impact on health. What's good for the rest of your body is also good for your sex life for example, a 2004 study found a healthy diet and exercise could help mitigate erectile dysfunction in obese men.

However, the study doesn't specify a vegan diet, just one that's high in fruits and vegetables and low in saturated fats and cholesterol. Other types of diets that fit this description like the Mediterranean diet, which includes fish have also been linked to improvement of erectile dysfunction. Exercise also plays a major role, according to the research.

"Diet and exercise together are the key to success. If you have someone that's eating a poor diet with a lot of meat and saturated fats and things to eating more vegetables, of course it'll be good for you," Cohen said. "Is it going to take your erections from zero to hero? I don't know."

Julia Naftulin/INSIDER

Your most recent meal may also have an immediate impact on your well-being; a small study found that eating a single fast food meal constricted the blood flow of otherwise healthy college students.

A healthy diet can include meat, but should also have lots of fresh produce, whole grains, and healthy fats, registered dietitian Bonnie Taub-Dix previously told Insider. And as always, any serious dietary changes should be done gradually and with careful planning.

"You don't have to be a vegan, in this case. Even going from a diet that is very animal product-heavy to one that is more plant-forward would be a good idea," she said.

Read more:

A vegan said he got sick after Domino's served him pizza with real ham. Here's what really happens when vegans eat meat

10 common questions about erectile dysfunction, answered

10 of your most embarrassing questions about penis health, answered)

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A vegan diet can boost erections, according to a new Netflix documentary. Here's the reality. - INSIDER

When it comes to actresses in Hollywood who havent aged a day, Jennifer Aniston and her costar on The Morning Show, Reese Witherspoon, definitely top the (fit) list. As it happens, though, the talented A-listers arent just relying on genetics both Jen, 50, and Reese, 43, work really hard to maintain their health.

Its no secret Jens obsessed with looking younger and feeling her best, an insider explained exclusively to Life & Style. She goes to great lengths to turn back time, and it shows. When you see her in person, she glows.

She eats only fresh and organic foods salads, nuts, avocados, grilled fish with lemon thats basically it, the source continued.As for Jens workout, well, its just as disciplined. We box, we jump rope, we do strength training, we do a lot of work with resistance bands, Leyon Azubuike, Jens trainer and co-owner of Gloveworx, told Womens Health. Every core exercise I throw at her, she dominates it. She can hold a two or three-minute plank rather easily.

When it comes to Reese, shes just as committed to fitness as Jen. Reeses willpower is pretty amazing, a second insider told Life & Style. Shell have chicken, salad, maybe grilled fish. Just like us ~average~ humans, however, the Legally Blonde alum knows what its like to deal with temptation, especially when shes spending time with her kiddos. They are constantly tempting her with snacks like ice cream and fresh-baked cookies at home, the source explained.

But for the most part, Reese stays strong. Shes got Jen in her corner when she needs it. Theyre good influences on one another. Its like having a second trainer, without ever having to get reprimanded! the insider continued. They keep each other on their toes about their shared fasting schedules, and immediately fess up when they cheat. Jens great at wellbeing advice.

Clearly, these two powerful women have each others backs on-and off-screen!

Cant get enough celebrity content? Make sure tosubscribe to ourYouTubechannelfor fun, exclusive videos with your favorite stars!

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Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon's Diet and Exercise Regime - Life&Style Weekly

A beautiful face accentuates your personality, but no matter how good-looking you are facial fat can make you look older than your age, and this is the reason why most people hate that excess fat on their face. Unfortunately, facial fat is the second most stubborn fat in the body. In most cases, even if you lose overall weight, facial fat is pretty evident. As they say diamonds cut diamond, excess of facial fat is a result of eating unhealthy food and only a healthy diet can help you lose this rigid fat. Hence, if your facial fat is a matter of concern for you, then these simple tips can help you get a slimmer face by just tweaking the diet. What causes facial fat and how can you reduce it!Facial fat is a result of an unhealthy lifestyle and diet. Primarily if you are into eating too much of junk or processed foods you will simply put on fat around your face and especially chin! However, if you want to lose this fat, working out on overall weight loss is the key along with eliminating certain foods from the diet.In some cases, facial fat is also a result of water retention and inflammation due to several ailments.however, it is a universal desire to get that chiseled and slim face as it makes you look more appealing as well as young. Interestingly, you will be astonished to see that just by tweaking your diet and following simple hacks can help you achieve that desired look. According to Dr. Nivedita Dadu, Dermatologist.

What we eat is what reflects on our skin. So, it is very important to maintain a healthy and balanced diet to achieve a beautiful jawline and a slim face.. Taking the right amount of fat, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals and trace elements is very important if you struggling to get rid of chubby cheeks. Foods which are rich in Vitamin B-12, Vitamin D and Omega-3 fatty acids are considered best to reduce face fat along with few facial exercises.

What's More, a healthy lifestyle to maintain healthy weight all over your body. An overweight or obese person is more likely to have fat on their face than a person who maintains a healthy weight. Including protein rich diet, cardio exercises and drinking plenty of water is the best way to reduce facial fat.

Easy way to lose facial fat

Add fresh fruits and veggies to your dietEating fresh fruits and veggies to your diet can help you lose that stubborn fat quickly. Fresh fruits and veggies are loaded with nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, fibers and juices, which not only improve bodys metabolism, but at the same time helps in keeping you hydrated naturally.

Go gluten freeGluten free foods are low on the glycemic index and eventually help in reducing any type of inflammation from the body. Moreover, adding gluten-free grains and seeds can help you reduce those chubby cheeks.

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Want a slim face? Add these foods to your diet - Times of India

Ive often wondered how diet impacts my psoriasis. Trying different special diets began in childhood. My parents introduced diets for me to try to reduce my skins redness and scaling. They believed in the garbage in, garbage out theory of diet, steering me away from junk food and soda. As Chinese immigrants, they also espoused the healing power of Chinese herbal remedies.

I appreciate how caring parents will do most anything to help their child. Mine took me to see the best Chinese herbalists in San Francisco and spent a small fortune buying the prescribed herbs. The smell of those bitter herbal brews simmering for hours remains with me to this day. They also arranged for me to try different diets, such as a pork-free diet and a dairy-free diet.

Unfortunately, none of those diets worked the way we hoped to ease the psoriasis symptoms. I didnt give up experimenting with diets and psoriasis, though. On my own, I tried to drink lots of water to flush out my system. Another time, I avoided nightshades, such as eggplant, tomatoes, and potatoes. Another diet called for steering clear of processed foods along with refined sugar and flour. None of these helped as desired either.

All along I wanted to know if any studies or research supported a special diet for psoriasis. I couldnt deny anecdotal stories of those who felt a particular food or diet helped them. But without the proof of data I remained skeptical that they could help a broader population, including me.

In 2018, the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) released dietary recommendations for people with psoriatic disease. The NPF based its recommendations on a systematic review of current literature. In all, the authors of the paper, which was published in JAMADermatology in August 2018, looked at 55 studies involving 4,534 people living with psoriasis.

Here are the recommendations I find most intriguing and how they might affect the way I eat in the future.

The NPFs key dietary recommendation pertained to maintaining a healthy weight for those who are obese or overweight.

One of the authors of the paper, Sergio Schwartzman, MD, of Weill Cornell Medical College and the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, toldMedPage Today in June 2018: "People with psoriatic disease tend to be overweight and to have metabolic syndrome, a complex disorder that also includes hypertension, diabetes, and premature arteriosclerosis.

Dr. Schwartzman continued to recommend a hypocaloric diet to achieve weight reduction and ideal body weight for people with psoriasis who are obese and have metabolic syndrome.

While I am not overweight or obese, the recommendation encouraged me to keep up with my overall health and have regular checkups for metabolic syndrome. I know that a couple of factors, such as my blood pressure and blood sugar levels, have been borderline for me in the past. Keeping a healthy weight no doubt will go a long way in maintaining overall good health as well.

I frequently hear about eating a gluten-free diet for psoriasis. The researchers note that people with psoriasis are twice as likely to have celiac disease and more often have the serologic markers of IgG tissue transglutaminase and IgA endomysial antibodies. Having high levels of these antibodies also correlates to worse skin disease.

According to the Celiac Disease Foundation, it is a serious autoimmune disorder that can occur in genetically predisposed people where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine.

My dermatologist, Christie Carroll, MD, of Dignity Health Medical Foundation in Woodland, California, confirmed that its not uncommon for someone to have multiple autoimmune conditions. At my last appointment, we discussed trying a gluten-free diet, and I showed her the study findings. She agreed to order blood tests to check for IgG and IgA antibodies.

Two days later the results came back negative for all gluten-sensitivity markers. Dr. Carroll messaged me to report, Your lab tests for the gluten sensitivity were negative. No need to try the gluten-free diet. The researchers also noted that no evidence supported a gluten-free diet for those with psoriasis without confirmed celiac disease or positive serological markers.

The researchers also looked at the role of supplements in soothing psoriasis symptoms. The findings showed conflicted results for fish oil, a popular supplement touted for psoriasis, and ultimately did not recommend it as supplement for psoriasis. Other supplements, such as vitamin D, selenium, and vitamin B12, also showed lack of efficacy.

They did note, though, that one small study suggested potential benefits for combination micronutrient supplements that included multiple vitamins and minerals, along with methotrexate, but the evidence was insufficient for a recommendation to be made.

At the end of the article I did wonder about the effectiveness of other supplements, or those herbal formulations I took as a child. I will keep an eye out for any new studies or literature that report on those in the future.

The bottom line, according to the researchers: Dietary changes should be used not as a replacement for standard medical treatment for psoriasis, but complementary to them. Thats a good thing to keep in mind, as I continue to experiment with what works and what doesnt work with diet and my psoriasis.

You can read more about my experiences in myblogfor Everyday Health and on mywebsite.

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Can Diet Change the Course of Your Psoriasis? - Everyday Health

One of the toughest things about trying to lose weight is resisting a trip to your favourite fast-food or takeaway spot.

However much effort we put into our vegetable-packed, carb free, super food centered meals, they very rarely live up to the joys of a double cheeseburger or a butterfly chicken.

But according to fitness and diet expert Graeme Tomlinson there are certain things on the menu we can treat ourselves to without completely ruining the diet plan.

He's shared the best things we can order at McDonald's and Nando's if we're counting the calories - and you'll be happy to learn it's not all salads and there are some tasty classics on there.

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When it comes to Nando's the best main you can have is the 1/4 chicken, which comes in at 265 cal, followed by the butterfly chicken at 352 cal.

At the other end of the scale, a whole chicken is the worst thing you can order at 1,156 cal along with 10 chicken wings at 806.

For sides, the mixed leaf salad has just 13 cal and the long stem broccoli has 24 cal.

A large portion of chips contains 1256 calories and the a bowl of peri peri nuts has 793 cal.

Graeme explains that while many people Nando's is healthier than other fast-food chains, some of the sides and starters can make it just as bad.

Writing on Instagram , he explains: "In comparison to many express dine in establishments, consumption of chicken, coupled with assortments of nutrient dense foods, may lead one to believe that Nandos is the fat loss alternative. And this may well prove valid if it is enjoyed.

"But instances such as the accumulation of 1/2 a peri peri houmous starter, 10 wings, regular chips, macho peas and extra sauce = a caloric intake of 1845 nutrient inclusive calories. But nonetheless... 1845 calories before drinks are considered.

"Energy balance over periods of time directly defines ones rate of fat loss, gain or maintenance. Nothing else.

"This likely exceeds would-be calories consumed in a parallel McDonalds visit. Whilst McDonalds produce is mostly calorie dense, options are limited in comparison to Nandos abundance of starters, main courses, sides and desserts, not to mention its exclusivity as a restaurant - where selection of multiple items is more likely. Swipe left to see the starters and sides.

"That said, Nandos is enjoyed by millions - this should never change. Awareness of total energy consumed can therefore allow one to facilitate multiple Nandos excursions into a successful diet.

"Once the hard nutritional facts of a Nandos meal are grasped, one can adjust prior and subsequent nutritional intakes to accommodate what will likely be a calorie dense meal in happiness and calm control.

"Such an eating episode can be free from guilt and enjoyed in serene knowledge that the fruits of the overall diet will yield progress."

And what about McDonald's?

There are some options on the menu at the fast-food giant with fewer calories than you might expect.

When it comes to burgers, a cheeseburger has 301 calories and a filet-o-fish has 329.

However the best thing you can order is chicken nuggets with a six-pack containing 259 calories.

A small portion of chips has 237 calories, an Oreo McFlurry has 267 and a the shaker side salad has just 18 calories.

The most calorific burgers are the Big Tasty with bacon, which has 850 and the Signature Classic which has 689.

Graeme writes: "For optimal health, excessive consumption of fast food is not going to be particularly beneficial.

"But if consumption is moderate and accompanied by an overall supportive dietary process, it can have an enjoyed position in ones life."

According to the NHS, men need about 2,500 calories a day and women need 2,000, however this can vary depending on age, metabolism and how much exercise you do.

To learn more about Graeme visit his Instagram page .

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What to eat at McDonald's and Nando's if you don't want to ruin diet - and it's not salad - Mirror Online