We’ve all been there – going from nutritionist to nutritionist and trying every workout available to us. While some efforts are fruitful and others can prove inept, we continue our search for the ultimate lifestyle that will keep us fit and healthy. Enter Taiba Hospital’s Clinical Nutrition and Diet Department. With their advancements in the science and technology of helping you adopt a healthy lifestyle, we just had to find out more! So we sat down with the department’s director, Mr. Sami Albader to learn more about what sets them apart from the rest.
Originally a Management student at university, Mr. Sami struggled with weight-loss and saw the benefits of the university dietitian’s guidance. He then decided to enroll into some of the nutrition classes offered. There, he found himself learning about the different techniques he needed and consequentially, made some lifestyle changes. As a result, he started to lose the weight and grew eager to explore this field further and made the decision to change his major to Nutrition and Fitness, and the rest, is history.
How do you tailor each nutrition plan for clients and how do you asses them?
Assessment of the clients’ history with food, activity, different diets, and medical history is very important. We also put the client on a scale to measure their body fat tissue and get an indirect calorimeter reading – which provides an accurate measure of calories the client needs to consume in order to lose or maintain their weight. We also recently started introducing the Genetic Test (Nutrigenomix) at Taiba Hospital, which gives you a deeper understanding of a person’s genetics, and how they relate to their nutrition. The assessment and tools at Taiba Hospital make tailoring plans for individuals very easy and effective.
How do you guide and inspire your clients?
I help guide my clients through one-on-one conversations about their goals and coming up with a specific plan on how to achieve each one. At times, when it’s needed, I share with them the success stories of previous clients to help inspire them further. I also use social media as a tool to help motivate my followers.
What is your advice to maintain a healthy lifestyle?
I have five key points:
- Eat slowly! The slower you eat, the better your digestion and better control you have on your appetite.
- Eat until 80 percent full. Don’t try to overwhelm your stomach with food, if you are about 80 percent full or less you will feel energetic and vibrant and can go about your daily tasks with ease.
- Include vegetables with every meal. Whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner – vegetables are low calorie, nutrient dense foods that help keep you nourished while maintaining a healthy appetite.
- Include protein with every meal. If you want to lose weight, protein is very important to help increase your satiety and help curb your hunger for longer hours.
- Move more and simply increase your daily physical activity. Invest in a pedometer and start counting your steps for a week, then try to increase that number by 200 to 500 steps per week. Your goal should always be to reach a minimum of 10,000 steps per day.
What’s new and exciting in the world of nutrition?
Two areas are new and very exciting, the first is linking people’s DNA to nutrition through the science of Nutrigenomix. For instance, we can now test the effects of coffee consumption on people and see the benefits or altercations it may have. As well as the types of diets and exercises a person can benefit from most. The second area is probiotics and the gastrointestinal tract and how food can affect it as well as the effect it can have on our mood, eating behavior and weight loss or gain.
You can visit Taiba Hospital’s Clinical Nutrition and Diet Department in Sabah Al Salem Area, Block 3, Street 3. Call them on 180 8088 to make an appointment now for a healthier lifestyle! Follow them on Facebook: TaibaHospitalQ8, and on Instagram and Twitter @TaibaHospital for more information.
